Guess, what Cork needs is something like a 737-500!? Yes, a very much missed size of aeroplane at Cork. Musing about it is certainly interesting and apart from the above mentioned stronger routes the remaining destinations may be served more economically by a combination of A319/73G and ERJ-190 type frames? However, to attract new pax to the newer low frequency destinations airlines still need to offer some very low fares too so then you at the very least need A319/320 or 737-700. It is very hard to see any new routes from Cork to mainland Europe being tried out initially with the likes of FR 189 seaters. Just too hard to fill full stop no matter how poor the yield?
Normally, it would not be in my nature to concede to Neidin's gloom above but today, Saturday, 25th March, 2006 is not a good day for Cork Airport. Today saw the final flight of the early Saturday morning Ryanair Stansted FR901/2, the final flight by Aer Arann to Birmingham and the final Saturday morning Gatwick easyJet EZY783/4. I was witness to this morning's turn of events and you may take it from me that both the Stansted and Gatwick loads were very good on their final Saturday morning. Such a shame to see them both go.
If one was to pose a question to Cork Airport on the matter no doubt their reply would be true to form and would be something like "No comment."
The Irish Examiner has more revelations today on the subject of Cork Airport. It has now been admitted that it was the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) whom appointed the consultantcy firm, BDO Simpson Xavier, to negotiate between the DAA and the Cork Airport Authority on the funding of the new Cork terminal and not the Minister for Transport. It has also been revealed that the consultantcy firm were invited by a sub committe of Cork Airport to engage with them in talks but BDO Simpson Xavier have said they have no intention of doing so. It looks to me like that BDO Simpson Xavier have been hired by the DAA and so are they marching to beat of a DAA drum?
On the plus side there have been reports that both bmi baby and Aer Arann have both been shooting some CAT2 approaches at Cork in recent times so there is a wee chink of light, no matter how tiny!
Now for a funny: the cabin crew chief on this evening's EZY787 made a PA on arrival at Cork welcoming passengers to "The Tropical Paradise that is Cork!" It was pea soup all the way in on the approach, the south westerly winds were howling and the rain was just clearing as the aircraft parked on Stand 7 on the near empty ramp. I have a minor disability with one of my feet which became very aggravated today and the walk to the terminal was as much as I could do. No joke, boy, no joke at all.