Aircraft traffic falls sharply at Cork and Shannon

AIRCRAFT traffic at Cork and Shannon airports has suffered a double-digit decline so far in 2008, according to figures from the Irish Aviation Authority.

Aircraft movements at Cork for the first 11 months of the year recorded a 13.5% decrease to 57,883, while total movements at Shannon are down to 39,413 — a drop of 12.2%.

Both airports recorded a decline in traffic for all but one month of the year.

In contrast, Dublin Airport traffic has shown a 0.8% increase over the same period — up to 196,956 movements — although there has been a notable decline in activity during the second half of the year.

Similarly, there has been a slight increase in the number of overflights through Irish airspace during 2008 – up 1.2% to almost 290,000 aircraft, although traffic levels have also begun to slow down since September.

The authority has predicted difficult trading conditions in the year ahead.

A spokesperson said the aviation authority’s business would be “severely challenged” through 2009.

It has proposed a number of measures to keep staff and overhead costs under control including a 12-month pay freeze for all staff.

Meanwhile, Ryanair has emerged as the most expensive airline for in-flight drinks and snacks in a survey of low-cost carriers.

British consumer magazine, Which? Holiday, showed that some no-frills airlines charge around 50% of the cost of a ticket for a basic meal.

The study examined the cost of a basket of five times: a sandwich with meat filling, a packet of Pringles crisps, a small bottle of red wine, a bottle of sparkling water and a cup of coffee.

Ryanair charged £16.05 (€16.65) for the items, making it the dearest of five budget airlines included in the survey by a long distance. The second most expensive carrier, FlyBe, charged £11.95 (€12.50) for the same items.

The cheapest was Bmibaby which charged £10.50 (€11), followed by Monarch, £10.60 (€11.10), and EasyJet, £11.50 (€12).

“Our findings show some discrepancies in the prices that the airlines charge with Ryanair being the most expensive for every item on the list,” said Which? Holiday editor Lorna Cowan.

“It’s hard to believe that some airlines charge so much for food and drink, especially when the cost of their flights are often so low,” she added.

Ms Cowan advised airline passengers to buy liquids in departure lounges where they are normally cheaper than on the aircraft.