Squawk as you see fit (Off Topic Thread)

(Reuters) - U.S. planemaker Boeing (BA.N) has disclosed an agreement with Iran to provide airplane parts, relaxing a three-decade freeze in ties as part of a broader package of sanctions relief.

The agreement sets out general terms and conditions for the "potential sale of certain goods and services related to the safety of flight," Boeing said in a regulatory filing.

It marks the first acknowledged dealings between U.S. aerospace companies and Iran since the 1979 U.S. hostage crisis led to sanctions that deepened during the decade-old international dispute over Iran's nuclear program.

Boeing said its agreement with state carrier Iran Air covered airplane parts, manuals, drawings, service bulletins, navigation charts and data.

Boeing has also opened discussions with Iran Air Tours, a subsidiary of Iran Air, for similar goods and services, it said.

Tenger wrote: »

Sounds to me as if the logistics for the return journey were not in place. They were put up in a hotel and flown home the next day. So a small slip from the airline but they still provided good service to the family involved.

I have had this approx 10 years ago on a flight out of DUB. ALL chocolates (and confectionery that may have been made in a nut contaminated environment) were removed/not loaded in the catering supplies. Family boarded first and allowed to wipe down a block of 4 seats. Announcements made pre-boarding at the gate and again during boarding onboard as well as post take-off. Little boy on the day was hyper allergic to nuts and apparently adrenaline shot was not guaranteed to prevent death.

pajor wrote: »

Better be fixed by Paddy's Day next year. :rolleyes:

http://www.thejournal.ie/government-jet-broken-1650016-Sep2014/

Ever wondered why Ryanair has not bought the old Terminal or whether Cork -Dublin route will be restored or if transatlantic flights from Cork will become a reality. Below is an article that I wrote which appeared in this week's Southern Star to answer these and other questions re Cork Airport
The future of Cork Airport is of particular importance to West Cork as efforts continue on many fronts to grow tourism numbers in the years ahead. Last Friday morning at 7.30am I and a number of my party colleagues joined the Minister for Transport, Sport and Tourism Paschal Donohue at a meeting with management at Cork airport to discuss the above and many other questions regarding the future of the airport. On arrival, the fog continued to envelop the airport causing me to wonder why such a location was chosen for the airport which was opened in 1961 and catered for 10,000 passengers in its first year of operations.

Cork Airport is the second largest airport in the state and currently serves 50 routes and expects to accommodate 2.15 million passengers in 2014. The new terminal completed in 2006 at a cost of well in excess of €100 million has capacity for up to 4 million passengers which is double its existing passenger numbers.
The biggest challenge to Cork Airport is competing with a resurgent Shannon Airport which has recently gained independence from the DAA is debt free and has agreed a €0 fee arrangement with Ryanair for all passengers landing and taking off from the airport over the next five years. By contrast Cork Airport is almost €200 million in debt and charges up to €8.60 per passenger on year 6 rising incrementally from €0 on year one. While making an operating profit of €5 million euro per annum, the airport is straddled with servicing its enormous debt and coupled with depreciation records a loss of €15 million per annum. This clearly is not a sustainable position for the airport.

The most interesting figure relating to Cork Airport is the percentage of passengers resident in Ireland using the airport each year. At Cork almost 70% of travellers are resident here already versus just above 50% at Dublin and Shannon. Here lies the greatest opportunity for Cork Airport – to grow the number of inbound tourists to the airport. This will result in a major bonus for tourism in the region. Areas like Germany are very poorly served by existing routes and the development of such routes is a no brainer when it comes to increasing visitors to West Cork an area that has always been popular with the German tourists.

Unlike its nearest neighbours Kerry and Waterford, Cork airport does not receive any state subventions from the tax payer each year. The debt issue has to be tackled by Government intervention. National Aviation policy needs to recognise Cork Airport as a regional airport and designate it as the principal international Gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way. Cork Airport should also be designated as the convention and conference gateway for Business tourism in the South of Ireland as the development of the Cork Convention Centre progresses. The State’s Tourism bodies and the two local Authorities need to join forces in a coordinated way to develop on a public private model a marketing fund to attract new routes and promote areas like West Cork to the British, French and German markets.

Plans are at an advanced stage to bring back the Cork Dublin route initially as a transatlantic feeder route by Stobart Air. It is hoped this service might be in place by April 2015 but its future will be determined by demand set against the backdrop of improved road, rail and Bus travel on the same route. The Cooperation of airlines in using the route as a feeder to onward journeys from Dublin will be key to its success. The existing runway at 2.1Km’s in length can facilitate the introduction of transatlantic flights to the East coast of the United States and this possibility is currently being discussed with airline companies with the hope of establishing a number of routes to the US in the next couple of years. The old terminal is available for rent to any company and has been viewed by a number of interested parties. The annual rates bill on such a large structure would be very significant and the existing concrete floors would not be ideal for the laying of cable and fibre optic wires etc. However the premises are available for lease to any company including Ryanair with I’m told no reasonable offer being refused.

have a look!! :-)