[Article] Bumper passenger numbers at Waterford

Bumper passenger numbers at Waterford
July 20, 2004 18:54

Passenger figures at Waterford Airport have been soaring during the peak summer months and strong loadfactors have been reported on the Aer Arann services to Luton, Manchester and Lorient in Brittany.

In total 35,500 passengers flew to and from Waterford with Aer Arann in the 13-month period to July 12, 2004. An average of over 153 per day, or 4,600 passengers arrived and departed on scheduled services in June 2004 compared to 2,818 in August 2003 which was last year's busiest month.

At the airport's AGM today the details of the performance during the second half of 2003 and the first half of 2004 were outlined by the airport chairman Nicky Fewer.

Fewer told shareholders: "The last 12 months has been a remarkable period and the airport is in the best shape now that it has been for many years after being under serious threat of closure in the early part of 2003 when we were without passenger services following the collapse of Euroceltic Airways."

In his review of 2003 Fewer singled out the announcement by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, Martin Cullen TD in April of last year that State aid totalling almost €1.185m would place the airport on a stable financial footing as a turning point, coming as it did on the same day that it was announced Aer Arann were to begin serving the facility.