Airport facilities haven’t matched growing traffic
Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) would hardly retain its business interests at Birmingham and Dusseldorf airports if they weren’t lucrative. This makes sense and helps out in other under-performing areas of the DAA, while Ryanair has received significant marketing supports from Shannon to help launch new routes over the last year. Such supports are not found under a tree, so I reckon the DAA needs to hang on to as many shops as it can.
The former Aer Rianta - not Cork Airport Authority - commissioned a new terminal for Cork and former Transport Minister Seamus Brennan said Cork should be debt-free when the three airports were separated. This project has been an exercise in catch-up.
Improvements were ongoing at Dublin and Shannon for years while Cork’s passenger numbers continued to grow despite the lack of badly needed infrastructure like a new terminal.
Even now, Cork is still without enough aircraft parking stands to accommodate all the business, especially in summer. Cork also needs longer runways and an instrument landing system to CAT3 standard, bearing in mind that well over 100 flights were diverted to Shannon alone in 2005.
I am sure Mr Cawley’s boss, Michael O’Leary, would welcome both for Cork airport. Cork now has a new terminal ready to open in May, but Mr Cawley says it is a waste, describing it as a ‘Taj Mahal.’
Mr Cawley should realise that Cork people deserve the best from their airport and a Taj Mahal is far more inviting than standing underneath the tents at Beauvais airport and waiting for the rip-off bus to Porte Maillot.
Some Cork people may try it once, but I wager never again.
Thomas Whelan
61 Father Matthew Road
Turners Cross
Cork
