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.

Mr Dempsey said the subsidies were traditionally given “on the basis of regional development policy and connectivity”, but are no longer required in this regard because of improved roads and other transport infrastructure.

“It would be increasingly difficult to justify Public Service Obligation routes to most of the airports because of the fact that you will have motorways and railways vastly improved.

“We have already seen signs of it in the road service to Sligo and the road service to Limerick,” the minister said.

State-sponsored routes cost the Government €15 million annually and a report last year by consultants DKM said that most regional airports would essentially collapse without them.

The present round of subsidies concludes in two years and Mr Dempsey said: “Public Service Obligation routes as we know them, once the current round finishes, will be considerably changed.

“There are very few places, with the exception perhaps of Donegal, where we will be able to justify them.”

The minister was speaking at the launch of A Sustainable Transport Future — a 48-point action plan to reduce carbon emissions by taking 500,000 cars off the road, increasing public transport and promote cycling and walking to work.

Action 27, dealing with aviation policy, says: “We will review the public service obligation for regional air services, which are due for renewal in 2011 having regard to progress being made on expanding bus and rail services so as to ensure that the most sustainable travel option receives priority support.

“By 2011, the Transport 21 inter-city rail programme will be complete and we will ensure good connectivity between airports and public transport services,” the policy document said.