IRELAND WEST AIRPORT KNOCK

[ryan2000]

It's a pity that UK carriers don't register with Irish people. It lessens the chances of more competition and extra routes!

[Jamie2k9]

Flybe to extend the EDI route closure from 6 Jan to 31 Mar. Was planned to resume 17 February.

[EI-A330-300]

2012 Traffic

September down 3.4%
October down 6.5%
November up 8.3%
December not released.

How can September see a fall with all the extra flights even though they stopped two weeks in and what caused such a decline in October.

Year to November 645,600. I read that total for 2012 was approx 685,000 which seems about right as 40,000 would be a correct figure for December.

Not bad considering but its way off the projected 725,000 then revised to 710,000.

[sawtooth]

...what caused such a decline in October

No FR TFS this winter, no LBA, and I think some of the sun routes eneded earlier than previous year. No increase on MAN/BHX since the loss of the jet capacity (-40/-28 on October 2011).

Perhaps they had pencilled in other route launches which didn't materialise for 2012 projection, AGP for instance. Still it shows adding new routes aren't always going to help the bottom line, building frequency on core services could have far more impact in growing numbers (and revenue).

[mart901]

NOC really needs a twice daily LON route, this is perhaps EIR territory, at the moment there is a good spread of routes but poor timing. An EI to LHR would also be good, along with extra BHX and MAN seasonally. I also wonder would maybe 3 rotations per wk to GLA or PIK pay off?

[CabinCrewe]

Despite NOC being tried from GLA twice before, timings and aircraft choice were always wrong. Three times a week on a Loganair Saab 340 might work high season only, but looking at EDI and how their NOC route appears , from a loads perspective, to be in trouble, I don't think another Scottish venture will be happening anytime soon, infact wouldn't be surprised to see something cut or dropped.

[EI-A330-300]

Just after remenbering that the school hoildays were mainly in November which would be the reason for sharp decline in October and good increase for November.

[iwak]

There is no doubt that knock could maintain a double daily London but until such time as the airport gets investment from the govt to help with the extra cost of extended opening hours it won't happen.I still think a LHR from ei would work.

Even better would be. Late night arrival and early am departure from LHR enabling pax to do Day return.

Man and bhx are well down but lpl and ema are picking up the slack to some extent. Man is not performing well at all and as I've said before until the flybe brand get some heavy marketing good load factors won't be achieved.

I wouldn't touch a gla service at the moment with the way edi is performing but again if they don't promote they won't have bums on seats.

Let's hope we might get Leeds and Paris back for summer 2013:

[EI-BUD]

Iwak, of course a LHR would work in terms of being a popular service, though it depends ob the airlines interpretation of 'what works', a lot of other much more lucrative route ex Lhr get priority.

Surely with high focus on leisure passengers the existing complement of london routes are sufficient.?

[barossavalley]

Knock airport passenger numbers up 5pc

Knock airport passenger numbers up 5pc to 685,000 in 2012
Knock Airport had busiest year - The Irish Times - Mon, Jan 07, 2013

[Mayfly1]

Hats off to the team at Knock is all I can say , to achieve such a positive result in the teeth of the worst recession this country has seen in the last 50 years and despite government policy working against them, well done to all there.
Shows what local endeavour and the hard work of staff and management can achieve against the odds. The west needs IWAK to continue to challenge the status quo in Irish aviation and lets hope they will be given the due recognition they deserve

[Kinocker]

Yes, it's a great achievement to set record passenger figures two years in a row given the wider economic issues not just in Ireland but also in virtually every country you can fly to from Knock. Hopefully 2013 will be another strong year, although reading between the lines of the statement on the IWAK website, 2013 could be a tougher one than the last couple of years for the airport.

[sawtooth]

Looks like they aren't waiting for the Minister, apparently 25 local councillors met with the management yesterday and are very concerned by the new policy, demanding a meeting with the Taoiseach.

Ireland West Airport Knock

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The airport have posted a new promotional video on Youtube outlining the airports figures:

Ireland West Airport Knock - An airport for jobs & growth

You Tube

[EI-A330-300]

2013 could be a tougher one than the last couple of years for the airport.

Indeed I agree and SNN doesn't come into the situation either.

1 - EDI canceled until 31 March compared to mid Feb last year.
2 - MAN reduced from 7 to 4 weekly for summer.
3 - LBA canceled shows no signs of returning and with MAN reduced I think it sort of confirms it.
4 - GRO back but reduced.
5 - Notice that on the home page of NOC website they show all destinations for 2013 but HHN and BVA are not there. Now they could be added but if not thats 6 weekly flights lost.
6 - BHX reduced for early 2013 but had B737 last year.
7 - LGW changes from A320 to A319

However new weekly AGP and PMI and FAO/ALC/TFS resume mid March a little earlier than 2012.

And thats before SNN comes into the situation as most people think thats all that will cause NOC problems when in fact it the current routes/airlines.

[airnoc]

On Beauvais-Tillé Airport page NOC is now gone as seasonal flight
but Hahn is still showing.

Is any of these routes comming back or are they gone due to low number on the routes.

Any time i flew they were good numbers on both flight.

[iwak]

Stn flight times are still timed like last year to allow for the beauvais flight.this might change though. However management said they hoped to be in a position to announce more flights in the new year so wait and see.

[Knock63]

Heard a whisper today that FR want to do a Fri evening to LTN but Knock don't want it (staff costs), wouldn't be surprised if true.

[EI-A330-300]

Would say you right. Ryanair from 21 December began operating there Fri and Sun flights between KIR-STN in the evenings from the afternoon. If KIR can manage it then why can't NOC at most it would add 3 hours once a week. Its open until around 17.00 as it is on a Friday and I see no reason why they couldn't keep it open till 20.00 at least.

[sawtooth]

If KIR can manage it then why can't NOC

KIR does have PSO to subsidise operating hours, SXL and WAT have SAR contract. But NOC open until 19:00 in Summer up until last year, hope they are more flexible with Summer schedule.

[Kinocker]

While EI-A330-300 rightly points out the issues that IWAK is facing into in terms of a drop in passenger numbers in the coming year it appears things are happening behind the scenes in terms of putting forward the airport's case for a bigger slice of funding from the Dept of Transport longer term.

Time and Date Agreed for Taoiseach and Ministers to Meet Board and Trustees of IWAK