Airport project to begin this month

WORK is likely to commence at the end of this month on the multi-million euro development at Cork International Airport, which has already been delayed by over two years.

At last week's meeting of the board of Aer Rianta a letter of intent was signed, and the signing of the actual contract is now just a formality.

Although a senior Aer Rianta spokesman told the Irish Examiner yesterday that "the tendering process is still not complete," according to reliable business sources in the city the first sod will be turned at the end of this month.

"It's as good as there," was the confident prediction, indicating that the indecision which had clouded the future of the airport has been lifted, and fears that the work would not commence this year dispelled.

It has been reliably learned that the contractor is Rohcon Ltd., and the way is clear to begin work on the 150 million expansion programme.

Cork Airport, which has been voted Airport of the Year for the second year by the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, will this year handle in excess of two million passengers.

Because of sustained rapid growth and expansion, that figure is expected to reach at least three million passengers annually over the next two years.

Aer Rianta, the airports management company, has commissioned the leading airport designers Jacobs International to design a 70 million terminal facility for the airport.

This will be built to the north of the existing terminal and will be 25,000 square metres more than double the existing 11,000 sq.m. passenger terminal.

The terminal will include 32 check-in desks, new hold baggage screening facilities, a new bar and catering facilities, and, for the first time, three airbridges.

The plan includes a 1,200-space, three-storey car park with a covered connection to the new passenger terminal, as well as 1,500 new surface parking spaces, and improvements to existing car parks.

Construction has already been completed on the apron extension and new aircraft taxiways, including allocated parking stands for wide-bodied aircraft.

The second apron is needed because of the increase in both corporate jet business and cargo business.

A new air traffic control tower building is also being constructed on the western side of the airport, along with improvements to the airport's road network and development of the Kinsale Road site which was acquired for a future new cargo village.

In addition, a new in-flight catering building is being built at the airport by Alpha, an international catering company that has won the new contract to provide the in-flight catering service.