Hi All,
While on the subject of cork airport and as a regular user of the airport just a few comments. I know a lot of this has already been said but heres my twopence worth anyway!
I feel entirely sorry for the passengers who end up having to walk up to five minutes past empty stands to stand 13 or so with some of the severe weather we have had recently. The people who get the brunt of this are the cabin crew boarding the aircraft or the ground crew on the airport side. As far as I am aware airlines have no choice where they are parked but seem to get all the bad press about parking as if as recently mentioned in a newspaper article they wanted to save money by parking on the cheap stands. They really can conjure up some strange stories.
I have heard of aircraft repositioning to a different stand to pick up her passengers, but that just covers up the problem as this is not always an option. Fair dues to the crew though.How much would it cost to put a perspex tunnel along the walkway at cork airport as so commonly seen elsewhere?. I am sure at this stage the passengers would even cough up a few euros for it.
ILS 35 dissappearing for the majority of the winter! Is it just me or would this be better served happening in the summer months.
Staff parking in the airport is inadequate as from my experience there often is not staff parked there. I have heard recently of an airline captain being clamped, he did not have a sticker YET but had another means of identifying himself in the window, a call to the appropriate operator may have been a less severe method. A quick check of the majority of the windscreens in the Car park shows that a lot of the passengers are using this as free parking.
Anybody who has done the walk to work in the rain from the car park will have an interesting day in work to say the least.
I heard it mentioned earlier that Ryanairs introduction to cork is great. I disagree with this but everyone is entitled to their opinions. Brings more competition. Again not true, unless that is that the new definition of competition is allowing a very wealthy airline operate a route at a loss i.e 1 cent for a year or so until other people run out of money. I am sad to see the threat to Aer Arann in cork. I think their frequency, flexible ticketing, return check in and acceptance of passengers at -15mins will be a loss to the business community! Although they are far from perfect my general impression is that it is improving. I think it would be terrible to see a home grown airline like aer arann who have made great strides recently be shoved out of cork by big brother ryanair. There are a lot of cork people employed with this airline both directly and inderectly. I think if there is a reduction of this airline in Cork it is not good in the long run for other airlines also. Strange as it may sound.
The fact still remains that Cork people and arriving tourists are getting the short end of the straw while a lot of faffing goes on. Where are the priorities. I know a lot of people would rather see a new walkway a better selection of grub in the airport than a shiny new terminal!
Just my thoughts and i am fully open to comment or correction.
Aer Arann CAT 2- no excuse it should be organised as an operator out of cork. They have been dealing with the weather long enough to know that it is imperative come winter -or summer mind you -that you are CAT 2 Qualified. Especially out of one of your main bases!
Traffic layout- the less said the better. If i see one more car driving the wrong way to the airport i.e against the traffic. There will be an accident soon mark my words. Also some people seem to think that there is not a speed limit. I am not a prude 20 is ridiculous but 80+ also ridiculous.
Anyway fingers tired now must go.
Keep safe