Routes to sun spots boost numbers through Waterford Airport by 45%

MORE people in the south-east are choosing to spurn long car journeys, hefty car parking fees and extensive check-in delays by flying out of Waterford Airport, according to new figures released yesterday.

Passenger numbers using the airport continue to grow, with an increase of 45% during the first six months of this year, compared with the same period in 2006.

The increase follows new services launched at the airport to various destinations in Britain, as well as continental holiday hotspots like Faro in Portugal, Malaga in Spain and Lorient and Bordeaux in France.

A total of 43,000 people flew from Waterford Airport between January and June of this year.

Airport chief executive Graham Doyle has also reported a 30% increase in passengers using Aer Arann’s Waterford-London route and an 83% increase in passengers choosing to fly from Waterford to Manchester.

“Birmingham and Lorient were introduced by Aer Arann in mid-May and have been very successful, with many people using the routes for business, family visits and general weekend breaks,” he said.

Mr Doyle added that the new Slattery Sun flights to Malaga, Faro and Bordeaux on Atlantic Airways came online at the beginning of July and are also continuing to drive further growth.

“It’s great to see people landing ... with suntans, returning from these popular sun destinations. Naturally, the bad weather we have been experiencing in Ireland this summer has played a part in a greater demand for foreign holidays. No doubt recent airfare specials of return flights of just €199, which were offered by Slattery Travel to Faro and Malaga, also made these holidays a viable consideration.”

Waterford has direct flights to seven British and continental destinations, as well as a regular service to Dublin, which has proved increasingly popular with the business community.

Expansion is set to continue, with more than €22 million in Government funds allocated to a widening and lengthening project for the runway.

Management at the airport hope passenger numbers will reach annual levels of 300,000 by 2010.

Last year, 82,000 people used the airport and this year’s numbers are on target to surpass that mark.