Waterford Airport.

Overall this post is littered with inaccuracies. It's hard to take the debate seriously when people simply don't know what they're talking about.

Loganair are a long established airline and have a history of successful operations across Ireland and the UK. They are not in any way "very new to the Irish market". If they believed there was a market from Waterford they'd be in there.

Emerald operate multiple routes from Ireland. Despite what you say, not all are linked to their Aer Lingus contract. But, even leaving that aside, what's to stop Waterford being served via the Aer Lingus contract? Aer Lingus are already putting mainline aircraft on regional routes, such as Dublin to Edinburgh, where demand exists, freeing up Emerald aircraft in the process to serve other routes. Again, if they believed there was a market from Waterford they'd be in there.

The bottom line is that it's not so much turboprop operations that are risky as you suggest (ultimately all aviation operations are risky), it's Waterford that is risky. These airlines don't think they can turn a profit there. Which means there are no routes. And yet, somehow people think the place should be expanded. It defies all logic.

Loganair only left the Irish market due to the pandemic, as did nearly every other airline except Aer Lingus and Ryanair. It doesn't count. They are a very experienced operator in this market.

Emerald operate Gatwick-Glasgow and Knock-Groningen; and formerly Gatwick-Dublin outside the Aer Lingus contract. They are also a substantial operator at Belfast City for Aer Lingus. They will operate other flights that make financial sense for them. They have recently agreed to take more aircraft from leasing firms so are actively expanding.

Airlines approach airports all the time.

Fundamentally, there are three airlines that are perfectly capable of operating out of Waterford with existing infrastructure, but none of them appear to believe they can make money on it. Two of those airlines (Loganair, Eastern) are very willing to take risks and try new routes.

A longer runway will make it possible to operate full-scale narrowbody jets, but there are not many routes that are made viable by using a bigger jet - with three to five times the seats of what Logan, Eastern and Emerald fly - that weren't already viable.

So operational support becomes required, which is a funding stream nobody has been able to identify so far.

Operational support has already been discussed, and stated it will most likely come from government as it does for other regional airports and as it did in the past for Waterford.

Operational support is small money when it's offset against direct and indirect jobs, increased FDI, tourism etc.

Again for the final time, Waterford is currently operating, R117, Aero Club, Atlantic flight training and private flights. It's open and it's operational with one hand tied behind its back.

€12 million is pennies in today's world, get it to a state where it has the ability to be fully operational and see what happens.

Michael O Leary basically said if the "lunatics" get it going they'd probably run one or two flights a day to London.

So worst case Waterford has one or two flights daily to London.

On emerald, Gatwick to Glasgow is for BA, and the knock service is a charter flight so it's not Emerald putting on their own flights. They know the risks of running their own service, it's fair easier to obtain contracts for other airlines.

Depends how it's looked upon, it could also cause government to take the stance, sure you have flights there, they are serving the need for the region, we don't see a need to expand bla bla bla.

It has also been in the news about plans to extend, if you are a turbo prop airline would you go in knowing you could have a low fare jet airline landing in the near future or would you concentrate elsewhere?

"Waterford was achieving over 100k pax a year with turboprop aircraft and expensive fairs (sic)."

And then the M9 was finished. And those numbers fell away to zero over the next few years.

Thanks for backing up my point with the stats though.

The point posted by someone else about WAT potentially actively avoiding turboprop ops is interesting however and is perhaps reflective of a wider issue in the county/region. A seemingly complete inability to do something independently without going cap in hand to the government every time. And then complaining that nothing ever gets done in the area.

They want 12 million of a down payment plus millions more of an annual subvention for a runway extension to run a handful of flights to Luton or Manchester. But instead of encouraging regional airlines in to prove demand for the services they're apparently actively discouraging them instead? No wonder the government is dragging it's feet with that kind of can't do attitude locally.

A sensible approach would be - if you want the public money then prove the demand. If you can't or won't do that, then stop complaining. If the amounts needed are as small and the opportunities as great as are being made out here, then why not just fund the runway extension locally? Local business investment, community fundraising etc. Get up and get out and make it happen if it's that important.

I'm finished the over and back on this topic as it has been done to death.

There are those of us in favour and those of us against.

Whether any of us believe that this is a good investment, a bad investment, it will work, it won't work it is irrelevant.

The only thing that is relevant is the governments decision and inaction on this topic.

If they are not for it announce it, if they are for it announce it and make a bloody decision on the thing and we can all move on.

I think most people in Waterford just want an answer at this stage whether we are happy with it or not

A claim could also be made that Waterford airport was built in the middle of nowhere and the wrong side of the city.

The last year Waterford broke 100k was 2010, the same year the M9 was finished. Aer Arann's problems were linked to that also, a significant amount of their operations became unviable when Galway and Waterford airports became obsolete as a result of the M6 and M9 opening.

The global recession was in 2008 so wasn't the issue you're making it out to be here, by 2011 most Irish airports were growing their passenger numbers again, however Waterford was in terminal decline and Galway airport closed that year.

The numbers at Waterford steadily declined from there until 2016 by which time there were more people flying on 9 seaters from Connemara to the Aran Islands than there were flying from Waterford. Since then there have been no scheduled passenger operations at all.

I said I'm done. This is the last post.

Cork Airport passenger numbers fell year on year from 2009 - 2015, it was 2016 by the time they saw a rise in passenger numbers.

Knock did well but had a blip in 2013 and 2015.

Shannon was fairly impacted and it was 2013 and more so 2014 by the time they saw a decent increase in pax figures.

Kerry did quiet well during recession times.

So to say by 2011 most were growing is factually wrong.

There is such a case against Waterford, how is Kerry Airport only 1 hr 40 min minutes from Shannon Airport and 90 minutes from cork Airport still pulling over 400k pax.

The same argument can be made for Kerry as it is Waterford.

The arguement will be, Kerry's tourism and private aircraft. There is no reason over time Waterford couldn't achieve the same as Kerry, considering it's further from cork and Dublin airports than Kerry is from Shannon and cork.

Anyway as earlier stated I am done, it has been argued to death.

MIA.

Exactly this, the certain posters on here never even think of the benefits of having a regional airport for Waterford City and also the whole region - they will only focus on the costs

https://www.waterford-news.ie/news/is-there-a-plan-b-for-waterford-airport-councillors-feel-fobbed-off_arid-57434.html

…and fossil fueled cars are best!

So you are saying that you will be able to fly from Waterford to Izmir if the government fund the airport! You will still have to go to Dublin for this type of flight so you're point about journey times are irrelevant.

Currently on Google maps from the clock tower to the red long term carpark, is 1 hr 51 minutes.

Travelling to the airport you need to give yourself an hour buffer in case of an accident of the N7 or M50.

Park the car, get the shuttle add on 20 minutes.

So travel time is approx over 2 hours, you've left an hour early and arrive an hour before your flight (that's really the minimum for Dublin), that's a total of 4 hours before you hop on your plane.

It's not just about the travel time, it's everything else that goes with it.

With a family in toe you are most likely arriving in Dublin Airport 2 hours before your flight time, that's 5 hours of travel, waiting around etc before you even board the plane.

Compare that V Waterford.

20 minutes from the clock tower to the airport, park the car get to the terminal, add on 5 minutes. Arrive 1 hour before the flight.

Total travel time and wait time 1 hr 25 mins. That is a serious saving of time.

Granted based on where you are living times would change, but there is a lot to factor in other than the time it takes to get to Dublin.