An Aer Arann Captain kept her crew and passengers aboard her aircraft at Cork yesterday afternoon for around 58 minutes after landing from a flight from either Edinburgh or Dublin.
The aircraft had been given a remote stand, I believe Stand 10, so even in ordinary circumstances the passengers would have had to expect a longish walk back to the arrivals at Cork which is at Stand 5.
However, the circumstances were not ordinary at Cork yesterday afternoon. The wind was blowing gale force in driving and lashing rain.
The Aer Arann Captain sought a stand closer to the terminal to disembark her passengers but none was available and as the wind was raging and the rain was lashing the Captain decided safety first rather than open the doors and allow her passengers to be blown away down the ramp in the wind and rain.
So, it took up to 58 minutes for a closer stand to become available before the passengers were disembarked.
Top marks to the Aer Arann Captain who put the safety of her crew and passengers first.
The weather has been severe at Cork in the last month. Why does Cork Airport believe it has so little duty to her fee paying passengers in such bad weather as we are experiencing at the moment when some airliners are regularly so remotely parked?
It is time for Cork Airport and her customers, the airlines and passengers, to sort out this lunacy out once and for all?
Cork people deserve better.