Airport Likely to Maintain Licence

Aerohead

Well this is good news and hopefully something will happen that may allow the Airport to at least get back into the General Aviation arena. It would be a tragedy if the Airport was to close, at least while its open there is always a chance someone will resume flights there.

http://www.galwaybayfm.ie/component/k2/item/4880-galway-airport-licence-likely-to-be-retained

Storm 10

Thats great news, to let the Airport go would be terrible, as said by the OP hope something good comes out of this.

gordongekko

Can someone put a cost on this?

Chicken1

gordongekko wrote: »

Can someone put a cost on this?

Read somewhere its around two or three grand, not too much to keep a finger in the pie, if you loose the licence its extremly costly to get it back its very much cheaper to renew it.

folbotcar

That was always on the cards. It makes no sense to allow it to lapse. The flying club is still there and so is Skydive Ireland. Both will generate revenue for the new owners not to mention other visitors buying fuel and the like. Closing it completely would only cost money as there's no chance of it turning into an industrial estate this side of 2020. Keeping it as a private airfield is the most logical use right now.

I can't help feeling there are some interesting negotiations going on behind the scenes. I wonder what the '6 issues' are?

Aerohead

Why cant they go after Stobart Air who now own Aer Arann, today Stobart announced a tie up with Flybe, both used to operate from Galway, you will get no where if you dont try.

Aerohead

Aerohead wrote: »

Why cant they go after Stobart Air who now own Aer Arann, today Stobart announced a tie up with Flybe, both used to operate from Galway, you will get no where if you dont try.

There's no profit in flying from Galway unless you have government subvention.... which is not an option anymore, so the chances of any of those coming to Galway are slim.

Even if one of those came to Galway to try it out, it's highly unlikely they would stay for more than a year or two

charlie_says

Excuse my ignorance on this subject, but why wasn't the airport built with a longer runway for larger jets in the first place?

If they could actually do decent passenger numbers at GA with jets then I'mm sure people could actually make some money on the place. Seems a bit mad that Knock takes jets but Galway never did (unless I am mistaken?) as most people don't like turboprops.

It irritates me as used to be able to get to my family over in the UK in next to no time from GA but no more.

WallyGUFC

The site is too small to extend the runway. It should never have been built there tbh, but that's another matter.

Aerohead

People seem to forget that Aer Arann operated BAE146 jets to Malaga and Faro they carried 100 passengers.

Couple videos here landing in Galway and departing Waterford for Galway from Malaga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74mlNV2ZXwA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-vOMgoIlRw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PlSjHpKptQ

folbotcar

charlie_says wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance on this subject, but why wasn't the airport built with a longer runway for larger jets in the first place?

If they could actually do decent passenger numbers at GA with jets then I'mm sure people could actually make some money on the place. Seems a bit mad that Knock takes jets but Galway never did (unless I am mistaken?) as most people don't like turboprops.

It irritates me as used to be able to get to my family over in the UK in next to no time from GA but no more.

Blame the short sightedness of the owners who made sure that Ryanair couldn't get in to Galway in order to protect Aer Arann. There was a chance to build a long runway at Oranmore where the RAF built their original airfield but it was lost. As a result, Knock, in the middle of nowhere built by a priest with a vision has taken all the traffic. In effect Knock is really Galway Airport. Meanwhile Aer Arann, now Stobart Air is gone forever and becoming a South of England based airline.

There is no room to extend the runway at Carnmore to take jets. All the room is at Oranmore. No use bitching about it. That's the way it happens.

Meanwhile Carnmore will make a nice little airport for general aviation in Galway. No chance of the airlines coming back.

ned14

So that looks like one of Galways airports is getting sorted. Now what about Clifden and Inishbofin and the €10m+ spent building them? I'd love to see them up and running since they're sitting there pretty much finished. They would compliment Galway as a popular GA airport.

gordongekko

ned14 wrote: »

So that looks like one of Galways airports is getting sorted. Now what about Clifden and Inishbofin and the €10m+ spent building them? I'd love to see them up and running since they're sitting there pretty much finished. They would compliment Galway as a popular GA airport.

Why?

Storm 10

On another subject in relation to the Airport I see that they are marking out the field beside the hospital where the temporary helicopter pad is going to be for six months while they construct a car park, I understand that the refuelling of the Coastguard and Air Corps helicopters at Galway Airport is part of the licence renewal.

ned14

gordongekko wrote: »

Why?

If Galway airport were to develop itself as a GA airport, having a large number of small airfields within easy reach (All 3 Aran Islands, Connemara, Inishbofin, Clifden) would certainly make for a good reason to attract more air traffic and visitors to the area. I'm not taking the attitude that the €10m was a "waste of taxpayers...etc". I think it's disappointing to see 2 perfectly good airfields closed (except for the wrong runway numbers in Inishbofin), which could bring tourists to the area via flights to Inishbofin.

folbotcar

Selling fuel is quite lucrative. So it makes sense for that to be part of the operation. Not just to the ICG either. I wonder though what will be allowed under the new license? It's doubtful that there's going to be ATC and the fire cover is gone, sold in fact. Presumably they've taken advice. It'll be interesting to see what comes out of this.

notharrypotter

Read somewhere its around two or three grand,

Who is paying it?

folbotcar

Presumably the new owners are paying it. It'll soon pay for itself.

gordongekko

folbotcar wrote: »

Presumably the new owners are paying it. It'll soon pay for itself.

of course it will sure there was a queue a mile long of people trying to buy the debt ridden undersized field in the middle of nowhere

folbotcar

Middle of nowhere Gordon? It's practically adjacent to Galway city unless you think Galway is in the middle of nowhere. The new owners I was referring to are the city and county councils. Also the debts are written off. So your post is wrong on all counts.

notharrypotter

http://www.galwaybayfm.ie/component/k2/item/4880-galway-airport-licence-likely-to-be-retained

Galway City and County Councils bought the Airport site at Carnmore last November for 1.1 million euro.

Also the debts are written off. So your post is wrong on all counts.

So the Galway ratepayers and the Irish taxpayers are on the hook again:(.

Presumably the new owners are paying it. It'll soon pay for itself

Just how long do you reckon it will take to pay back €1.1 million?
Not to mention the ongoing costs associated with the site.


How much "support" was given while they experimented with the park and ride?

gordongekko

folbotcar wrote: »

Middle of nowhere Gordon? It's practically adjacent to Galway city unless you think Galway is in the middle of nowhere. The new owners I was referring to are the city and county councils. Also the debts are written off. So your post is wrong on all counts.

practically adjacent to Galway is of course by definition not adjacent to galway and therefore in the middle of nowhere.

The debts were written off by banks bailed out by the taxpayers of the country who are now also on hook for another million by purchasing this white elephant.

They will have to sell a hell of a load of fuel to make us taxpayers even on this deal. And also who are the major purchasers of this fuel?? Yes that's right us taxpayers again in the form of the emergency services.

Storm 10

For the life of me I cannot understand how some people are against Galway Airport carrying on , must be from Mayo

charlie_says

I would love to know what the figures for passenger numbers on just the tourist buses into Galway are. Few quid made there over the years.

It's a serious project making a runway in construction terms, and local planning. Sites are there already.

The plan for the harbor is ambitious but requires major work over a period of years with proper management. If it ever happens.

I'd favour a proper airport in Galway.

folbotcar

notharrypotter wrote: »

http://www.galwaybayfm.ie/component/k2/item/4880-galway-airport-licence-likely-to-be-retained

So the Galway ratepayers and the Irish taxpayers are on the hook again:(.

Just how long do you reckon it will take to pay back €1.1 million?
Not to mention the ongoing costs associated with the site.

How much "support" was given while they experimented with the park and ride?

As you rightly point out there are ongoing costs with the site. They will exist even if it sits empty. So why not generate income and maybe even make an operating profit? The rent for each hangar was set at 75k p.a. Add fuel sales, parking and landing fees to that and any taxpayer would be pleased with the investment.

The 1.1 m is well below it's worth if it was ever sold on.

Frankly it makes sense to try and make it pay for itself. Otherwise the money is wasted.

As for Mr Gekko your geography is lacking. Traffic permitting it's a twenty minute drive from Eyre Square. Of all the regional and main airports it's easily the closest to main town it serves. As for fuel, well they have to buy it somewhere. Would you rather they burned more taxpayers money flying further afield to get fuel? Or worse cut short a rescue for lack of it?

Aerohead

gordongekko wrote: »

And also who are the major purchasers of this fuel?? Yes that's right us taxpayers again in the form of the emergency services.

I just hope you never need the emergency services given your attitude, friend of mine had a relation airlifted from the middle of nowhere in Mayo to UCHG after a heart attack by the Air Corps, it took twenty minutes and saved his life

notharrypotter

As you rightly point out there are ongoing costs with the site. They will exist even if it sits empty. So why not generate income and maybe even make an operating profit?

The running costs of an empty site are nowhere near the potential costs of trying to operate an airport there.

The potential income is never going to cover the 1.1 million spent to date coupled with the amount spent while it was a park and ride.

Not to mention the costs involved in running it on an ongoing basis.

I just hope you never need the emergency services given your attitude, friend of mine had a relation airlifted from the middle of nowhere in Mayo to UCHG after a heart attack by the Air Corps, it took twenty minutes and saved his life

I hope never to need the emergency services either but please tell me what relevance UCHG has to Galway airport.

The emergency helicopter activities have continued uninterrupted since the airfield closed.

folbotcar

UCHH is the main hospital in the west for emergencies. That's why we see so many choppers. Work it out for yourself! Gordon.

Notharrypotter, 1.1 million is nothing in the scheme of things. Some income is better than a money pit. I'm not saying it's a paneca. . What's your alternative?

Storm 10

Recently the Shannon helicopter was in Galway searching for a person in the water in the early hours, they had to return to Shannon for fuel whick took them away from the search for nearly an hour, when the airport was operating it was opened out of hours for fuel for the emergency services which would have had the helicopter off scene for around fifteen minutes, the time delay speaks for itself

thesandeman

License extended for a month. Source: GBFM website.

folbotcar

That's interesting. The airport had a public aerodrome licence. But right now it cannot meet the requirements of that licence in terms of fire cover etc. So it stays closed.

But if it was downgraded to a private licence. It could reopen under less stringent rules. Maybe it's easier to downgrade from public to private than it is to restart the whole process.

Or is something else going on in the background?