CORK

[Handover]

Re: CORK

When it comes to TA catchment area for Cork it has, as opposed to Dublin and Shannon, Waterford, South Kerry, parts of South Tipp and most of Cork(some of N. Cork has easier access to Shannon and this will only increase with the ongoing road developments). Everywhere else it is either equidistant or nearer to one of the other TA gateways. While Shannon's European catchment area is smaller than Cork's( it has all the regional airports to compete against) it's TA one is definitely not.
When you look to Europe there is no other airport that has as small a catchment area with a scheduled TA service. When it comes to an aircraft type while there are A319's and B73-7's plying their trade on the N. Atlantic for Lufthansa and Swiss Airlines these are, to the best of my knowledge, configured in business class only. You'd have to assume that this configuration is the only way they could justify operating this type of aircraft on the Atlantic. The A330 just isn't an option off Cork either with or without cargo. While AL may say that there is TA potential from Cork they don't and will not have an aircraft in the forseeable future( at least not until after the Shannon Tunnel is built) that they can operate from Cork. Basically then you're left with 757's which leaves COA and AA as the most likely choices. From their point of view with an already successful operation in Shannon, an airport with better infrastructure and options ( in terms of being able to use different a/c types, airbridges, immigration preclearance etc.) are they likely to start an operation that will draw from the same pool? While i'd like to think so i really don't see it.
Remember also that half of those people who come into Shannon are American and mostly tourists. Shannon is an ideal base for them as it is halfway between Ireland's major tourist areas of Galway/Mayo and Kerry/ West Cork. Flying into Cork would mean retracing their steps.
All in all Shannon has a lot going for it and with the proposed spur from the Western Rail Corridor and ongoing road developments access to it will become easier. Shannon has rested on it's stop over status for too long without going out and marketing the airport properly. The best thing that could have happened to Shannon is the advent of Open Skies because it will now have to market and justify itself. Fortunately for Shannon it has a lot going for it. It's only a matter of bothering to look at itself.
In the mean time Cork is saddled with this grossly unfair debt burden trying to compete against a rejuvenated Shannon for TA. Time to talk to the politicians methinks to at least level some of the playing pitch.