Baldonnel visitor 30/03/14

N7777G

Freebird Airlines A321 TC-FBG arrived this evening - as far as I know this is the 1st A321 to have visited BAL.

photo:- https://flic.kr/p/mAdJPe

kub

This has probably been discussed here before, but seeing a commercial a321 landing in Baldonnel makes me wonder about the place ever been open to commercial operations. Obviously sharing the runway with military ops.

An Cigire

What's would be the benefit of having a second airport in Dublin?

I can see none taken into account the millions it would require for a total re-develop of baldonnel aerodrome as it has no current terminal or hangers, fuel farm, ground transport system or car parks.

Dublin already has the capacity of 35million passengers I believe and all of the above.

BonkeyDonker

An Cigire wrote: »

What's would be the benefit of having a second airport in Dublin?

I can see none taken into account the millions it would require for a total re-develop of baldonnel aerodrome as it has no current terminal or hangers, fuel farm, ground transport system or car parks.

Dublin already has the capacity of 35million passengers I believe and all of the above.

Agreed - and it would more likely be millions with a b if you looked at overall cost.

CaptainSkidmark

what was it doing there?

Jawgap

An Cigire wrote: »

What's would be the benefit of having a second airport in Dublin?

I can see none taken into account the millions it would require for a total re-develop of baldonnel aerodrome as it has no current terminal or hangers, fuel farm, ground transport system or car parks.

Dublin already has the capacity of 35million passengers I believe and all of the above.

You're missing the point.......

If BAL was developed as an airport it would spare sensitive southsiders from having to run the gauntlet of the northside......:)

Davidth88

Nice catch OP !!

Was that another load of Defence Force lads ( and Lasses ) heading out for UN work ?

BeardySi

CaptainSkidmark wrote: »

what was it doing there?

Davidth88 wrote: »

Was that another load of Defence Force lads ( and Lasses ) heading out for UN work ?

Troops from the 43rd Infantry Group returning from UNDOF on the Golan Heights.

Jawgap

From the DF twitter feed.....

Bazzy

I dont think the army would be too keen having any tom dick or harry snooping around a military facility.

I've to be in our office in dublin once a week which overlooks the runway plenty of activity throughout the day so i'd imagine scheduled could mess up the fun them boys like to have during the day

Franticfrank

Bazzy wrote: »

I dont think the army would be too keen having any tom dick or harry snooping around a military facility.

I've to be in our office in dublin once a week which overlooks the runway plenty of activity throughout the day so i'd imagine scheduled could mess up the fun them boys like to have during the day

I don't really see the problem as long as it's handled correctly. I've flown on a commercial flight from Trapani airport in Sicily and spent the time beforehand watching Eurofighters and MB339s thundering down the runway. As far as I know, it's the same with Chania in Crete.

Those Italian and Greek fighter squadrons, NATO members that they are, should have a lot more to fear from "snooping" than a base dispatching the odd maritime patrol, air ambulance or PC9 training flight. As long as the commercial aircraft are kept on a separate apron at the other side of the airfield, disruption would be minimal.

Xpro

theKillerBite

Franticfrank wrote: »

As long as the commercial aircraft are kept on a separate apron at the other side of the airfield, disruption would be minimal.

Yeah you'd just need to install some jet blast screens to protect the PC-9's from the real planes.