Debt cripples airport business plan
We were told the cost of the terminal and ancillary facilities is €160m.
How can Mr Cullinane and the marketing team at the airport look ahead with a business plan while the Dublin Airport Authority and Transport Minster Martin Cullen continue to mull over consultants’ reports on how Cork’s debt will be serviced?
A commitment was given by former Transport Minister Seamus Brennan that the airport would be debt-free for construction of the terminal. Unless this commitment is honoured, there will be little cash left for any business plan.
Anyway, the first aim of such a plan should be to retain current business.
Results are what count, not multistorey car parks and dual-carriageways, and it will be a long winter at the airport with the final departure of easyJet flights to Gatwick later this month.
There was much courting of Ryanair a year ago, but they plan to cut back capacity on Cork flights to Stansted, Liverpool and Gatwick from next month.
This amounts to significant loss of revenue to the airport and effectively pushes up the cost of a ticket.
Reports from Prague suggest Czech Airlines intends to quit the Cork service in January. If true, this would be a major blow. Czech Airlines have an important hub in Prague for connecting flights to central and eastern Europe, Russia, north Africa, Israel and the Middle East.
Bearing in mind the security alert chaos at the major London airports a month ago, passengers originating in Cork who wish to connect to onward destinations need as many hub options as possible — so retaining a top-class, full-service airline to Prague is of vital importance.
While Aer Lingus is to begin flights to Prague next month, it — like Ryanair — is a point-to-point carrier. This does little to encourage connecting business passengers.
Meanwhile, some Cork passengers continue to get drenched while walking to the parking stands by the old terminal, or are being diverted to rival airports in poor Cork weather, as was the case last Saturday when flights from Birmingham, Manchester, Jersey and Nice couldn’t land.
Why did the e60m spent on ancillary facilities not include an upgrade of the instrument landing system or a modest runway extension to allow routine operation of long-haul Aer Lingus aircraft?
Still, we must continue to hope, so let’s wish the Cork team well at this week’s routes conference in Dubai.
Let’s just hope there is someone left at home if there is a call from Newark, Houston or Atlanta.
Thomas Whelan
61 Fr Matthew Road
Turners Cross
Cork
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