Waterford Airport.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121929603#Comment_121929603

Correct there would be some form of government financing year on year. In the scheme of government spending it would still be small money.

Any annual spend could also be offset for 101 reasons. One small example, let's say at best Waterford only obtains 1 daily service to London and having this one daily service attracted a new financial, pharma or tech company to locate to Waterford based on having a London service and employees 50 employees.

That returns tax in employees, corporation tax for said company, aircraft fuel and operating tax, tax in fuel for people coming to and from the airport etc.....

Small increase in tourist numbers sees an increase income in hospitality tax.

Granted all this extra tax income probably won't match government support but it will go some way and again that is only having 1 daily flight a week.

I'm ignoring the fact that it might attract more commerical flights, private flight's other businesses, increase in employees at Waterford airport, opportunities to expand FDI in Waterford and further opportunities for SETU internationally.

Valhalla90

Having the search & rescue has somewhat saved WAT from total closure like what happened to Galway. It’s time now for us to make the airport a success for the region and let it add financial gains back to region. It’s one man holding the whole show up now with his radical environmental views!

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121930613#Comment_121930613

it actually not really, its actually very disingenuous and rather immature to say so, its clearly obvious the greens have actually only been playing a minor role in our current government, and ffg are clearly the far more powerful force within it, and this clearly shows when it comes to financing, with critical financial ministerial roles being only filled by both parties. yes the greens have been preventing such investments, but so to have been both ffg, and who controls the purse strings!

the greens were always gonna be the fall guy, but has it been completely true that they alone have been preventing such investments!

dan575283578

ok so am i missing something or do airports generally require some amount of government funding to keep them going? why is waterford suddenly unique? at this point i cant see anything happening until eamon ryan is gone

JCX BXC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121938461#Comment_121938461

Well nobody wants to operate from the airport as is, needs a longer runway (investment).

Regional airports are then also rarely self sufficient. Waterford Airport itself would be unlikely to ever make money, however it's the regional benefits that make a subsidy justifiable.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121938461#Comment_121938461

It's not unique, if the airport resumes commerical flights it would require year on year funding as do all airports in Ireland.

Runway extension or not, currently if no runway extension and the airport had a commerical service running again it would need financial support in order to cover operations costs and improve/maintain airport infrastructure, this can cover anything from runway, landing equipment, security, fire service etc.

Providing funding year on year for commerical services might be money well spent as it allows Waterford and the wider region to increase in tourist offering, possibility of increased FDI, increase in airport staffing numbers any any associated businesses.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121939028#Comment_121939028

Neither Cork nor Dublin airport receive any annual operational funding. They can apply for grant aid for specific capital projects.

If WAT resumed scheduled flights then it would be eligible for operating subsidies under the Regional Airports Programme, similar to Knock, Kerry, Donegal and Shannon. However, the Regional Airport Programme comes under an EU State Aid exemption that expires in 2027 - so there's no guarantee that State subsidies would be a funding option for operational costs after that.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121941026#Comment_121941026

Correct, I always exclude Dublin from any comparisons as it is so far ahead and while Cork does not receive the regional funding it still often gets financial support from government.

2023 - "Cork Airport is not eligible for operational supports under the Regional Airports Programme in 2023, due to the strong rebound in passenger traffic in 2022 (2.24m pax). However, as announced earlier this year, in recognition of the important role of Cork Airport to the economy of the south region and nationally, capital funding of €6 million has been made available to Cork Airport this year"

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121941178#Comment_121941178

I'm fairly sure Cork received nothing pre-COVID for many years, possibly decades - certainly far from often.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121941178#Comment_121941178

So "all airports in Ireland" doesn't actually include Dublin - and you're trying to pretend that project-specific capital funding is the same as an annual operating subsidy?

Maybe try sticking to facts

Deise Vu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121941323#Comment_121941323

Why would it need funding when it could spend 100s of millions on an upgrade and then saddle DAA with the majority of the debt? The funds required to extend Waterford Airport are about 6 or 7% of what was spent in Cork between 2003 and 2006. With no inflation adjustment. Sums up various Govt priorities in a nutshell I think.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121941326#Comment_121941326

In 2022 cork airport received €6 in government funding for security updates

Also in 2022 they received a further €5ish million in regional funding "Cork Airport — April 19, 2022 — Cork Airport warmly welcomes today’s announcement by Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton T.D. of €5.46m in capital funding under the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2025. The funding announced today will support Cork Airport in the continued upgrade of airport infrastructure and will bolster the airport’s commitment"

It also got an additional €10 million towards the end of 2022 "Cork Airport will receive nearly half of a €21m fund for additional supports for regional airports."

I am not complaining about cork airport getting funding, but just pointing out even though it is part of DAA is still receives some form of government support.

If we look at Waterford then we should only be comparing the likes of Kerry, Shannon, Knock and Donegal dedicated regional airports, all those airports receive some form of government support as would Waterford if it resumes commerical flights with or without a runway extension.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121941912#Comment_121941912

Try finding any pre-COVID funding. I'm relatively sure there isn't any.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121941922#Comment_121941922

So cork has gone from a shack in the 1970s to a fantastic modern airport with little to no government support over the decades?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121942034#Comment_121942034

Cork Airport has over a million passengers a year to get revenue from. Its also owned by a profitable semi-state company that does not receive government support (and has returned hundreds of millions in dividends to the goverment)

If you could find any direct support pre-COVID I'm sure you'd have posted it rather than asking this question.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121942034#Comment_121942034

You really don't seem to understand the difference between capital grants and operation subsidies.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121942165#Comment_121942165

So you are saying from the 70s right up to the 00's cork never received any form of funding in operational funding?

No government funding to upgrade navigational aids, improve security and fire service, no PSO routes etc?

914

I also don't see why this is turning into a cork airport discussion, I merely stated all airports in Ireland receive some sort of operational funding.

Obviously Dublin is a big money maker and Cork is now part of that pot.

Waterford therefore is comparable to Kerry, Shannon, Knock, Sligo and Donegal, if all these airports operate commerical they receive funding as Waterford has done in the past, what's the issue?

Bards

If like me, you are all fed up at the snail pace that the government is deliberately taken to make a decision of spending a paltry €12m on such a major infrastructure benefit for the south east, what would you propose to the airport board to raise the money locally and quickly..

What If... the airport board offered people the opportunity to help fund the airport by say offering €100 car park vouchers for €50 to be used within 2 years of opening what would the uptake be?

Would it be a way to try and embarrass the government into making a decision quickly knowing that the public is now being asked to fund the airport themselves?

There are circa 600K people in the south east and if 300K vouchers were sold it would be €15m in revenue, but either way as money is raised it would allow work to commence

beachhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121936338#Comment_121936338

They block road building don't they?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121942807#Comment_121942807

You're the one who appears to be saying it did. What funding did it receive, then?

Cork has never had PSO routes. Pretty sure neither has Waterford actually.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121942807#Comment_121942807

Again - you don’t know the difference between operational funding and capital grants. Upgrading equipment and facilities is capital, not operational.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121945236#Comment_121945236

I made an assumption that all airports in Ireland at some point received some form of government operational support otherwise if it never received any operational support it would mean from day 1 the airport was profitable, otherwise how would it survive and grow?

If it makes you feel happy I'll retract and reword my initial post.

Like every airport in Ireland (republic) with the exception of Dublin and Cork if Waterford were to resume commerical flights with or without a runway extension it would require some year on year operational support.

Is that better?

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121945289#Comment_121945289

Oh my god and we still on this.

You believe cork never once received any operational support since it's creation, I don't believe that to be the case as it would have meant that the airport would have been in profit from day one, otherwise how would it survive and grow!

We have a difference of opinion, let's move on and get back to the topic of Waterford airport.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121945336#Comment_121945336

Cork was set up and run by a profitable company (Aer Rianta latterly DAA). Aer Rianta/DAA give the Government money - hundreds of millions in dividents - rather than taking it.

If you can't find proof of Government operational support; it didn't have any.

Dum_Dum_2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121945008#Comment_121945008

The rest of the country doesn't have to subscribe to silly little voucher schemes, why should we? How about we start getting our cut?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121945008#Comment_121945008

These sort of schemes leave places with no operating revenue when they need it - the "buy a restaurant voucher" thing being pushed in early COVID left a lot of restaurants skint in the summer when everyone turned up to use them and the money had already been spent.

Dum_Dum_2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121920177#Comment_121920177

Week 15.

Hot air update:

https://www.wlrfm.com/news/waterford-airport-ryan-353258

Dum_Dum_2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121929603#Comment_121929603

Thanks Cosmo.

You're just the latest in a long line of 'commentators' who pop into the Waterford forum and explain to the locals what they can't have.

It's almost clever – begrudgery dressed-up as cold hard logic. But my logic is colder and harder and it's this: this region, and Waterford City in particular, as been chronically starved of investment for decades. It has not received proportionate investment, neither public nor private and by any metric, per capita or otherwise, for decades. Fact. So I really don’t give a flying feck if the Airport or anything else around here is a going concern or not. We want our cut.

As for the Greens, the joyless future they espouse is not something I would entertain at all. So negative and depressing. No zeal to solve the very real problems the planet faces, just puritanical diktats on how other people should lead their lives.

purplepanda

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121758060#Comment_121758060

Southend Airport railway station doesn't have a direct rail service to Liverpool Street it's on the slower branch route via Shenfield & Billericay. It's Southend Victoria, a 2.4mile taxi for direct faster trains. When there was flights previously there was no early or late coach services to connect with flights from Southend after trains stopped running.

Stansted, Luton or Gatwick are much better options for a Waterford air service, later & earlier train services from London plus 24 hour coach services. I suspect London City access services would be also more expensive.

Getting to London means a long trip via Cork or Dublin airports, or a very early morning Sail / Rail departure @ 8.15 from Rosslare Europort, so it's an expensive taxi from Dungannon / Ramsgrange for me as theres no connecting public transport from Waterford / South Wexford in the morning.

No other busses / coaches travel currently to London from the South East of Ireland, whilst the late evening Rosslare Sail-Rail ferry leaves you stranded in Fishguard Pembrokshire all night waiting for the first morning train.

It's pathetic that you can't travel direct from Waterford / South East Ireland without going via Cork or Dublin airports. My aunt would often get the overnight bus from Waterford to visit her family in Reading, since covid that service has also been stopped.

Hopefully some day Waterford Airport services are back in operation.