BOSSES at Cork Airport defended their controversial new €160 million terminal building yesterday following criticism from airport operators that the old building had better facilities and is more user-friendly.

CORK’S Lord Mayor demanded a clear statement from the Transport Minister last night on the potentially crippling debt issue facing the city’s airport.

THE Progressive Democrats will not pull the plug on the coalition Government over the split on the second terminal at Dublin Airport, Tánaiste Mary Harney insisted yesterday.

WE fully support your editorial (Irish Examiner, February 13) which highlighted the fact that a €160 million (or an €80m) debt, if imposed, would cripple Cork airport for decades.

CORK Airport’s new multi-million passenger terminal is likely to miss its May 10 opening date and instead open in the hectic summer season.

THE embarrassing political impasse between the Coalition partners over a second terminal for Dublin Airport showed no sign of being resolved yesterday as yet another Cabinet meeting came and went without a decision being reached.

CORK Airport Authority could be landed with debts of €80 million as the Government prepares to row back on a commitment to leave the new authority debt-free.

UNIONS at Dublin Airport last night threatened strike action within a week if management don’t commit to existing agreements on hiring new staff.

CONSTRUCTION firm Laing O’Rourke has been chosen to build a new pier at Dublin Airport.

SMALL business group ISME has said the Government must ensure that any new terminal at Dublin Airport is run by an independent operator.

TRANSPORT Minister Martin Cullen is refusing to say when he believes the row over the €160 million debt for Cork Airport's new terminal will be resolved.

PASSENGERS at Dublin Airport will face a substantial hike in the €5 charge they pay no matter who develops the second terminal, Dublin Airport Authority’s new chief executive David Collier warned yesterday.

RYANAIR has announced 18 new routes from Dublin to other parts of Europe turning Dublin Airport into its 16th European base.

You spend years waiting for an extra airport terminal, then two come along at once, writes Paul O’Brien.

POTENTIAL purchasers are already showing an interest in the Great Southern Hotel (GSH) group, which is to be taken out of State ownership and sold.

RYANAIR last night slated the decision by the Government to allow the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) to build the second terminal.

THE Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) has proposed increasing Dublin Airport charges for airlines by up to 40% per passenger.

THE sale of the Great Southern Hotel group is set to become the first major stumbling block in social partnership talks as unions gear up to oppose any privatisation of the loss-making semi-State.