Waterford Airport chief targets Ryanair return and says airport will 'complement' Cork

Chief executive William Bolster says airport can be 'game changer' for the South East

Turning the sod at Waterford Airport were the Deputy Mayor of Waterford  John Pratt alongside airport chief executive William Bolster and Waterford city and county Councillors on Runway 21, officially launching the new €30 million construction phase of the airport. Picture: Maxwells

The chief executive of Waterford Airport says that preliminary discussions have taken place with airlines including Ryanair about establishing services from the South-East.

Last week, the sod was turned on a €30m construction project at the airport, with development work already underway, including a major runway extension and infrastructure upgrades. The new runway will be lengthened to 2,287 metres and widened to 45 metres to accommodate large commercial jet aircraft. The upgrades will enable the return of commercial passenger services, with a target of handling of more than 400,000 passengers annually within three years.

Airport chief executive and shareholder William Bolster said the airport is already preparing for its 2027 opening. "We have had discussions with a number of airlines already," said Mr Bolster. "I've openly said I'd like to see Ryanair come back. Ryanair's first flight was here in 1985. But Michael O'Leary is not one for nostalgia but I'd love to seem them back here. There's loads of other airlines as well. We are compiling data for them to prove that it can work."

Mr Bolster actually bought his shareholding off Tony Ryan and his family 20 years ago. 

The airport was granted an operational licence in 1981, with international flights granted the following year. In 1985, Ryanair launched its inaugural scheduled flight to London Gatwick from Waterford Airport. In 2008, the airport reaching over 100,000 passengers but for the past 10 years, the airport did not offer commercial routes.

Runway had left airport 'hamstrung'

"The airport was depending on turbo propellor airlines for business. Without jet aircraft possibilities, the airport was always going to be hamstrung," said Mr Bolster.

"It was always an uphill battle. The size of the runway, from a commercial point of view. meant it would only support turbo propellor aircraft and that meant aircraft of only 60 to 70 seats, which meant a higher price point for the public using it, and limiting the airlines that you could handle. It's a tough business, and unfortunately various airlines went broke, moved on, or got taken over. We had a number of regional aircraft including the likes of Aer Arann, Stobart Air, and FlyBe."

The €30m investment for Waterford has been secured through US investor and oil billionaire Kelcy Warren, who owns the Castletown Cox estate just 40km from the Waterford. Mr Warren is now the largest investor in the airport with Mr Bolster owning a smaller share.

In 2025, Waterford City and County Council approved the disposal of lands and the waiving of a previous loan of €670,000, paving the way for the investment, and last month, a transition of ownership took place, as shareholders of the legacy company Waterford Regional Airport Plc, voted overwhelmingly to liquidate the previous company and relinquish their stakes. "Those shareholders had to make tough decision to sanction the deal. In fairness those people could see the bigger picture," said Mr Bolster.

Mr Bolster said the airport had been earmarked for funding several times over the years but State funding never materialised, and potential investors had to leave the project. 

"This has been an issue at local elections, national elections. When politicians are knocking on doors, it's usually taxes or water charges or infrastructure people are asked about. It's very unusual when they are being asked 'when are you delivering my runway? But this was at the forefront of every conversation, and it put the pressure on to deliver it." 

Mr Bolster is the owner of the Bolster Group, which was started by William's late father Billy. The Bolster Group has interests across a range of businesses including a top 10 flooring company, a large industrial door company, and a construction firm. "They all compliment each other, so it certainly helps," said Mr Bolster.

Work gets underway

The main runway at Wateford is set to close in the coming fortnight as work begins extending it on the north side by 460m and on the south side by 360m. The airport will stay open as a licensed rescue centre. Even without commercial aviation, the airport is already a hive of activity, with up to 300 movements of aircraft every day. The Atlantic Flight Training School - which also has operations by Cork Airport - has a large hub at Waterford while the Waterford Airport Search and Rescue Base have responded to emergency taskings countrywide from the airport, in addition to work with the RNLI, HSE, Garda Síochána, Defence Forces, local authorities and other agencies.

The airport currently has 17 staff. At its height, there were 48 people working there. A further 50 people are currently working on construction at the airport, including a €2m extension of the airport's sea rescue base. 

The return of commercial aviation will bring Waterford to a new level, says Mr Bolster, and a route from Waterford to London will be quickly targeted. Indeed Heathrow and Stansted are the two busiest destinations from Cork. Mr Bolster said that there is a 680,000 population within a 60-minute drive from Waterford. "We're not trying to take business from Cork, which is a fantastic airport, and we are never going to be Dublin which is a huge international hub now. We are trying to complement them.

"The phrase gamechanger is not one I use too often but this is a gamechanger for the entire South-East -  not just Waterford, but south Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, and west Waterford. There will be a massive benefit."