Point of departure ... airlines take a one-way ticket as arrivals faces a difficult climb

I READ with sadness all the criticism of the new Cork airport in your letters columns recently.

The lack of covered walkways, the long walk and the difficult climb to the new terminal on arrival are all impediments to airlines and customers using the airport.

Local politicians, who are very silent of late, the airport board and the relevant tourism interests might be interested to know that the following airlines have already left or are about to abandon the airport:

* Easy Jet to Gatwick

* Air Wales to Newquay and Cardiff

* Czech Airlines to Prague

* BM Regional to Leeds

* BMI Baby to Durham

* Loganair to Glasgow

* Thomsonfly to Coventry

* Air Malta to Malta

Ryanair has cut a daily flight each to Gatwick and Stansted and reduced their Liverpool service by three flights per week.

Add to that the loss of seasonal airlines SN Airways to Brussels, Fly West to Brest, VLM to Jersey and Crossair to Zurich and you have an airport sadly crumbling.

I hope someone wakes up at Cork airport before it is too late.

Evan White

4 Victoria Villas

Western Road

Cork