Minister commits to Kerry air subsidy

Kerry Airport yesterday welcomed a commitment from Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe to support the retention of subsidised flights on the Kerry to Dublin route.

The airport board has already stated the future of the Kerry/Dublin service is dependant on the public service obligation (PSO) grant, currently up for renewal.

On a visit to Tralee, Mr Donohoe said he was aware of the importance of the airport to the county and the region, and was committed to securing the completion of the PSO tendering process.

He said he would fight for funding for the new contract in the forthcoming Cabinet discussions on Budget 2015. The current contract for the route has been extended until February 2015 to allow the tendering process for the period beyond that to take place.

Airport board vice-chairman Liam Chute recently stated there would be no service between Kerry and Dublin without the PSO subsidy. Aer Lingus Regional currently has the PSO contract for Kerry which is operated on its behalf by Aer Arann and is worth €3.5m over three years.

Passenger numbers at the airport increased by 7% in 2013.