Regional airports face threat of closure

REGIONAL airports face the threat of closure after Transport Minister Noel Dempsey said state subsidies could “no longer be justified” for routes in and out of Kerry, Galway and other airports along the west coast.

A transport policy document, published yesterday, said Public Service Obligation routes, which are mostly operated by Aer Arann and are the lifeline of many regional airports, will be reviewed in 2011.

Government policy will be to give priority to the “most sustainable travel option” and reduce the need for air travel through improvements to inter-city rail services.