Here is the Press Report EICK320 is referring to. (from the Irish Independent...free online but you need to register).
New terminal hits turbulence
THE controversial 150m new terminal at Cork Airport has been slated by airport operators as not user-friendly and posing potentially serious operational issues, six months before it is to open.
The revelation came in a letter, which was seen by the Irish Independent and written by the Airport Operators Committee (AOC) representing airlines and airport services personnel, in which serious questions were raised about facilities at the terminal.
In the hard-hitting letter to Cork Airport manager, Pat Keohane, the AOC warned it had serious problems with the new facilities. In some ways the old terminal was better, it added. The letter warned that facilities and space for key airport operations such as check-in and lost baggage are "totally inadequate".
Among those who toured the unfinished terminal were officials from Aer Lingus, Aer Arann, ServisAir as well as the Cork and Dublin Airport authorities.
Last night, a Cork Airport spokesperson warned that it would be misleading to quote the AOC letter out of context.
"There have been negotiations on these issues for a lengthy period of time and every effort is being made to address all concerns and needs as regards the new terminal."
She stressed the terminal will open as planned in late April/early May. It is already the focus of a bitter row between the Cork and Dublin Airport authorities over who assumes the majority of debt incurred in its construction.
Cork's Lord Mayor, Cllr Deirdre Clune (FG), has accused the Government of reneging on promises over the terminal. Cork's new airport board is adamant it was promised debt-free operations when independent of Aer Rianta/DAA.
The AOC letter complained that:
Space for queuing in the old terminal is better than in the new terminal.
Space for ticket and check-in staff is totally inadequate.
Self-service kiosks are located in the wrong area.
Only three passenger screening/X-ray arches are planned, totally inadequate for current passenger throughput.
Provision of only one air-bridge is a flagrant disregard for demands for better passenger embarkation facilities.
Despite the lack of air-bridges, passengers will not even have covered walkways for getting to and from aircraft.
"The distance in length between check-in and the ticket desks is considerably less than the maximum distance in our present terminal - and the nature of queues in the new terminal is linear and reduced space does not lend itself to queue management," the AOC complained.
It warned that, despite increased security precautions, only three X-ray screening arches have been indicated.
"When questioned on the amount of screening arches and x-ray machines to be installed the figure three was mentioned but not confirmed. It is imperative that a definite decision is made immediately on the actual number of units being made available as three is totally inadequate", the AOC warned.
The airport operators queried the efficiency of allowing a ratio of just six boarding gates to service 16 aircraft parking stands.
The AOC admitted it also had major concerns as to the overall operational efficiency of the new terminal.
The terminal was aesthetically impressive but "does not reflect the ambitions and ideas of the AOC at the initial consultative process stage".
It was not user-friendly for passengers or for staff.
"While aesthetically the terminal is visually impressive, it does not reflect the ambitions and ideas of the AOC at the initial consultative process stage and appears to be un-user friendly for passengers to travel through and staff to work in," they complained.