Ryanair sell frankfurt hahn airport like it's in frankfurt!!!
Hahn airport is 130km outside frankfurt with a motorway.
I'm sure o Leary could sell Waterford airport as Dublin south if he really wanted to but he won't because he clearly has gripe with people from here and just wants to remain Dublin centric which in the long run is doing huge damage economically to this island as things on this island badly need to be decentralised from Dublin.
I mean Ryanair fly to Kerry airport whick is slightly closer to ORK/SNN than Waterford is to DUB/ORK. Based on this, one would assume that they'd put something onto Waterford too if the runway actually gets done.
hes full of sh1t alright, but when ryanair works, it works, you have to hand it to them, but i wouldnt trust them as far as you can throw them though
Yawn, he also said he would run 2 daily flights a day if it had a functional runway. MOL will say what he wants to best suit MOL.
I'm not sure about that as Waterford airport still delivers a substantial service.
Rescue 117 is a crucial service to the South East and without Waterford airport it would be located else where.
The next generation pilots are also be trained from Waterford airport with Atlantic Flight Training School.
As is the next generation of airline staff from International Academy of Travel.
An airport can be more than just commerical services and I have stated this in the past, Waterford airport is already functional why not give it the few million and allow it to operator without one hand tied behind it's back.
Is already has the required Cat9 fire service, operational needs etc all it's missing is a couple of meters of runway, the government will blow money left right and center why not here for once.
There is no requirement for a second airport to serve Dublin (and certainly not located in Waterford!). There is plenty of scope to expand the current airport as required, the cap will be lifted as it's national essential infrastructure serving an island and the airport will continue to develop from there.
Anyway MOL killed the Waterford expansion stone dead a few weeks ago. The only show in town now is Aer Lingus Regional, or another regional operator who can use the existing infrastructure if there's even demand for 70 seater aircraft, which to date there doesn't even seem to be.
Given that the place hasn't had a commercial flight for nearly a decade I got a good laugh out of that one. I'd say Kilkenny County Council are devastated that they don't have an airport with no flights alright!
dont be surprised if we re still waiting heading into the next ge!
I wonder how much longer we will be waiting on this. Be great if work started at some point in 2025
Southend is predominantly focused on UK outbound traffic, with nearly all of it's destinations sun resorts for UK travellers.
It also has a rail link to central London offering journey times of less than 1hr.
However, Southend's model might make a more interesting business case for WAT than the inbound argument (albeit the regional benefits wouldn't be as great).
Target low-fare operators and package operators servicing sun and ski destinations, making a heavy play for the price-sensitive budget holidaymakers.
Wexford town is not only 20 minutes extra, closer to an hour.
Waterford airport is about 66km and Dublin airport is about 160km from Wexford town.
That is true and probably one that Dublin doesn’t like. All the other regional airports are far enough away. Some kind of strategic alliance with DUB would be good but they’re probably not interested but I’ve seen that in the U.K./England there are airport groups that operate the airports in certain parts of the country
Everyone has stated how close Waterford is to Dublin, no reason then that Waterford can't be sold as a Dublin south airport if that's the case.
Take London South End airport it's about 1hr and 10 min drive into London and yet it's sold as a London airport.
Depending on the M9/N8 and M50 leaving New bridge at times could take you similar time to get to Waterford than Dublin airport so it swings both ways.
Unfortunately geographically Waterford city is in a tough place as our south east regional Leinster neighbours feel closer to Dublin than Waterford.
Dungarvan/clonmel roughly 1 hour drive to Cork airport and Waterford airport.
Kilkenny city/wexford town an extra 20 minutes drive and they have Dublin airport on their step.
The government would probably rather build a Dublin south airport in around New bridge Kildare as it's linking cork/limerick/Waterford by both motorway and train line.
…ah shur perfect scapegoat, anything to take the blame off ffg!
Tbf the person being blamed for not having an airport for the last 2 years was Eamonn Ryan, with every other party happy to lay the blame at his feet. So now that the Greens are no longer in Government shouldn't we be seeing some movement. So thats a good bit of change.
Did you not already reply to my comment the other day… were you trying to think of a "really good comeback that'll show him" since, embarrassing 😂
😁 hilarious.
We could go around olin circles all day so I'll bow out here. Best of luck with Waterford international Airport. It'll be great day for the parish when that first flight straight from JFK lands.
A washing machine wouldn't go around and around as many times as this conversation has.
All it would take for Kilkenny and Carlow to start looking more serious at airport and regional development would be the loss of a couple of places like State Street… already happened in Wexford with BNY and I guess maybe some of the people there might be waking up to horrible reality of the lack of international IDA backed jobs that many in Waterford have been pointing out for years.
Do you think I'm the only Irish person on the island who has managed to not talk to an American?
I think you fail to understand how differently anyone in the upper management of a company thinks who has every half hour of their week measured and organised for them. 6-8 hour flight + being driven in a car for 2 hours on a good day is not going to be their cup of tea and would definitely be seen as more than a slight inconvenience.
I was beng tongue in cheek with the whole thing I wouldn't read too much in to it.
But an airport with links to other international airports like London being close by would definitely be used in whatever metrics are used to evaluate locations.
yes a pointless conversation- let’s develop the airport where it is and focus on getting funding for the runway infrastructure. After that a good rail link bus would be a great addition to link plane timetable to the railway station and buses
I agree with you on the ideal "ideal" location,
But picking a new site , getting permission and funding for a whole new airport would take forever ,have huge objections and probably cost a fortune ..so ..
I’d say in Kilkenny , Carlow and Wexford the airport is seen more as “nice to have” rather than something absolutely critical. Dublin is a pain in the arse yes but is fairly accessible for most including Waterford city where it’s the busiest and most trafficked bus routes, I’m sure plenty by rail too from Heuston station. Im all for the airport by the way and think it would be a great addition and option. Some of the major businesses in Kilkenny and Wexford and Waterford of course are behind it and the councils have to pay an annual contribution so there is support just naturally not a strong as in Waterford itself. Maybe it should have been developed in south Kilkenny alongside the rail line and now motorway but hindsight is wonderful so it may as well be developed where it is now: may not have been a suitable level site there either as these things are quite particular. There’s a lot done already at WAT it’s the extension and associated works that’s needed
I think you fail to understand how differently Americans view travelling by road networks to Irish people. 2 hours drive time to an American is nothing. Ireland is a really small island.
Let's be clear if they are travelling transatlantic they would still be flying into Dublin even if Waterford had a runway extension.
Unless you mean via private aircraft? Once the weather was right they could land in Waterford as is. The majority of transatlantic private flights would be something like a Gulfstream V which has often landed in Waterford and continues to do so.
Yeah, after 6-7 hours flight across the Atlantic who cares about another 2-3 hours of travel in a car. CEOs and upper execustives love a longer traveling distance and definitely aren't inclined to base decisions on emotions ever, they are totally infallible people who prioritise long term growth and the good of the company over personal short term gains and preferences.
Hogan & Howlin made sure WIT would never be a stand alone university. Conquer and divide while Dublin & Cork take all. Two kings of parish pump politics.
