Airport to Reopen

Aerohead

UPDATE
http://www.galwayindependent.com/20140709/news/flights-to-resume-at-galway-airport-S40971.html

galwayindependent.com wrote:

Carnmore Aviation Limited, owned by the Ballinasloe-based Conneely family, is now set to operate the facility under the terms of an 11-month contract

According to the Galway Advertiser the Airport could soon be open, I hope this bid is a success as it would be terrible not try to get it back into operation again as the economy is growing again and hopefully commercial flights may happen at a later stage. These guys have made a great success of Weston Airport its a very busy place.

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/70647/negotiations-may-lead-to-galway-airport-re-opening

folbotcar

Saw the article and I have to say it's all a bit aspirational. It won't be that difficult to re-open it to light aircraft visitors but I'm not sure if anyone has thought through the notion they can run an air taxi service. For a start you need an Air Operators Certificate or AOC. That is difficult and expensive to obtain and keep. So they would have to piggyback onto a current AOC holders ticket and as most AOC holders are airlines, helicopter and jet operators they won't be interested. Which only leaves a couple of options neither of whom might want to take the risk or even cooperate with the new management.

As for Weston, far from making it a great success. There is a lot of discontent with their management of the airport and discontent is a polite way of putting it.

It would be great to see it re-open in some form or other but the jury is out on whether this will work.

BeardySi

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056643662

Plenty of reading there, but it doesn't paint a good picture of Weston's current operators...

notharrypotter

I'm not sure if anyone has thought through the notion they can run an air taxi service.

Harbour Air website

We will be back fully operational again early in the new year

Just didn't say which new year

Harbour Air business plan Irish Independent to include air taxi service.

Boards threads (Harbor Flights Ireland) and (Harbour Air) on Harbor Air seem to indicate that it hasn't been active since 2013.

Is there a market for an air taxi business internal to Ireland?

Eogclouder

They ****ed up so hard with that airport.

I remember hearing that a long time ago there was land out in oranmore big enough to build runways and a proper airport, they would've been a shoe in for planning permission and Ó Cúiv was urging them to go ahead with it but they never did and then eventually shut. It's a shame the biggest airport in the west is now on a ****ing mountain in Mayo instead of in/near Galway

fish fingers

Eogclouder wrote: »

They ****ed up so hard with that airport.

I remember hearing that a long time ago there was land out in oranmore big enough to build runways and a proper airport, they would've been a shoe in for planning permission and Ó Cúiv was urging them to go ahead with it but they never did and then eventually shut. It's a shame the biggest airport in the west is now on a ****ing mountain in Mayo instead of in/near Galway

The army firing range in oranmore was were they were looking to build the airport.

notharrypotter

The west needs it

How so?

Eogclouder

notharrypotter wrote: »

How so?

It'd be a massive asset to have an airport capable of handling international traffic to Galway. Shannon's fallen into obscurity the last few years and Knock has pretty much replaced it for European flights. Knock's in the middle of nowhere on a mountain. I think it'd bring a lot more tourism and money to the city. You might see the rise of more suburbs because of it too, the likes of Oranmore growing much bigger.

stampydmonkey

Eogclouder wrote: »

It'd be a massive asset to have an airport capable of handling international traffic to Galway. Shannon's fallen into obscurity the last few years and Knock has pretty much replaced it for European flights. Knock's in the middle of nowhere on a mountain. I think it'd bring a lot more tourism and money to the city. You might see the rise of more suburbs because of it too, the likes of Oranmore growing much bigger.

The fact there may be an airport near oranmore will make no difference to its size. The development of the airport into an industrial or commerial business park would. Whilst I'd love to see a proper international airport in galway preferably in the army range site (which has excellent transport connection potential) it will NEVER happen.

Both Shannon and Knock will be alot easier to commute to once the gort/tuam motoway is opened. Also from what I'm reading in the papers Shannon is actually getting busier since the break fron DAA.

gordongekko

It's been a money pit for about 20 years. How much longer should we continue to pump money into it when there are 2 major airports within an hour of here.

Spring Onion

We don't need Galway airport. Waste of money. Knock and Shannon are not far away and Dublin is only 2 hours away. I hated traveling to Galway on those propeller planes.

BeardySi

It's been said before and doubtless will be again...

Galway is unsuitable as a commercial airport with schedules services. It was kept alive artificially for years b government subsidy via the PSO, as soon as that went there was no commercial vibility in the place.

It can (and hopefully will) make a fantastic private airport, servicing GA and business traffic. Hopefully the new operators will get it together.

Storm 10

Great news on the radio today the Airport is to open again to general aviation and refuelling of aircraft and the emergency services. I wish them the very best hopefully it will be a success.

GekkePrutser

Indeed, I just looked up their website, they seem to have changed it already:

http://www.galwayairport.com/

I also hope (and think) it will be a success!

folbotcar

GekkePrutser wrote: »

Indeed, I just looked up their website, they seem to have changed it already:

http://www.galwayairport.com/

I also hope (and think) it will be a success!

Unfortunately it hasn't been updated. That is the situation from last year before it shut down. They haven't updated the website, as I write this. Which isn't to say it won't be soon.

El_Dangeroso

stampydmonkey wrote: »

Both Shannon and Knock will be alot easier to commute to once the gort/tuam motoway is opened.

Not by public transport, both Shannon and knock can't be travelled to for early morning flights.

stampydmonkey

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Not by public transport, both Shannon and knock can't be travelled to for early morning flights.

Doubt you'd get a bus out to galway airport for a 6:30am flight if there ever is one.

Dont get me wrong, i would love to see a bustling airport.my home house is on the flight path! its great that its reopening esp for emergency services refueling.

gordongekko

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Not by public transport, both Shannon and knock can't be travelled to for early morning flights.

You can't get public transport to Galway airport at any hour of the day or night.

Mrs OBumble

gordongekko wrote: »

You can't get public transport to Galway airport at any hour of the day or night.

And even when it was open, there was only one bus a day!

Robbo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

And even when it was open, there was only one bus a day!

And didn't it coincide with precisely none of the scheduled flights? Perhaps a Parliamentary train would have been a better idea.

I hope that whatever deal is being floated doesn't lumber the respective councils with more debts. Let the shareholders eat them, pari passu.

El_Dangeroso

stampydmonkey wrote: »

Doubt you'd get a bus out to galway airport for a 6:30am flight if there ever is one.

Dont get me wrong, i would love to see a bustling airport.my home house is on the flight path! its great that its reopening esp for emergency services refueling.

gordongekko wrote: »

You can't get public transport to Galway airport at any hour of the day or night.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

And even when it was open, there was only one bus a day!

It was a 10 euro taxi from the city! How much is a taxi to shannon or knock?

Mrs OBumble

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

It was a 10 euro taxi from the city! How much is a taxi to shannon or knock?

Dunno. But a luxury coach to Dublin airport is 18 and gives access to a lot more flights.

snubbleste

Still hoping it will be a car park. :cool:

notharrypotter

I hope that whatever deal is being floated doesn't lumber the respective councils with more debts.

A very important consideration.

Recent media reports that some councils will be facing a cut in their allocation where they have a large property tax base.

Galway is one of te affected councils.

pleasant Co.

Storm 10 wrote: »

Great news on the radio today the Airport is to open again to general aviation and refuelling of aircraft and the emergency services. I wish them the very best hopefully it will be a success.

Are there details of this available anywhere linkable?

Storm 10

pleasant Co. wrote: »

Are there details of this available anywhere linkable?

Listen back to the Keith Finnegan show from yesterday, its all there

Storm 10

snubbleste wrote: »

Still hoping it will be a car park. :cool:

Fail to understand the negative responses here , talk about knocking your own City.

pleasant Co.

Storm 10 wrote: »

Listen back to the Keith Finnegan show from yesterday, its all there

No thanks, definitely don't have the time/willingness to do that.

I'd like to update the op with a news story if possible.

antoobrien

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Dunno. But a luxury coach to Dublin airport is 18 and gives access to a lot more flights.

Had to travel to London earlier this year for business meetings, the only "reasonable" option was to overnight in Dublin and get an early flight. With that in mind, I hope they bring back the Luton route (the removal of this by Stobart killed the usefulness of the airport to business travellers & tourists alike -Southend didn't do it for galway), it will make it a lot easier to get to London than the options that are currently available.

folbotcar

antoobrien wrote: »

Had to travel to London earlier this year for business meetings, the only "reasonable" option was to overnight in Dublin and get an early flight. With that in mind, I hope they bring back the Luton route (the removal of this by Stobart killed the usefulness of the airport to business travellers & tourists alike -Southend didn't do it for galway), it will make it a lot easier to get to Londan than the options that are currently available.

There is no chance whatever of there being commercial airline flights out of Galway again. But if you're rich enough you could charter your own aircraft. Sorry! Knock is now the real galway airport.

El_Dangeroso

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Dunno. But a luxury coach to Dublin airport is 18 and gives access to a lot more flights.

I had to travel to Sheffield last Thursday.

To get the bus to Dublin in time for a flight to get there for a meeting I would have had to leave on a 2am bus, that's not practical so I had to stay in the airport hotel the night before.

On the other hand I could have gotten the same time flight from Shannon, I would have had to get a 6am bus, which although early is much more doable. But there's no bus so I couldn't.

Also the bus to Dublin airport is the most boring 3 hours of a drive I've ever experienced.

I know we have no choice, but there should be a better bus service to knock or shannon, even subsidised, if they want the airports to succeed.

Storm 10

pleasant Co. wrote: »

No thanks, definitely don't have the time/willingness to do that.

I'd like to update the op with a news story if possible.

Here ya go

http://www.galwayindependent.com/20140709/news/flights-to-resume-at-galway-airport-S40971.html

pleasant Co.

Storm 10 wrote: »

Here ya go

http://www.galwayindependent.com/20140709/news/flights-to-resume-at-galway-airport-S40971.html

Appreciate it