Were any of you listening to the local radio, 96FM, in Cork this morning? I was working and missed out on it myself but the boss's wife whom heard a few minutes said there was a hell for leather discussion about the airport on the Neil Prendeville Show for a good while this morning.
There were people ringing in and texting with their stories and complaints about the new Cork Airport. Among other things some of the topics included passengers off of 3 flights on one day last week having to wait up to 1.5 hours for their baggage all of which was delivered to just one carousel. That is just a little too long?
Another was how a deaf and blind man and his wheelchair bound wife arriving from the UK were left to their own devices in the arrivals hall and only for the help of another fellow passenger they might still be there now! Now, I know the handler probably did their little bit but after that does the CAA have any other duty towards their more needy passengers or is a smile and some words of kindness just too expensive to buy at an airport whose charges are all ready on the high side?
There was a rep from bmi baby on and it seems the company are keen to try the new airbridge but they might as well be waiting until the cows come home at Cork Airport for that to happen! There were complaints from people not being able to see out to their loved ones arrive and depart like was possible in the old terminal but it is just too late now to do anything about that, isn't it?
The airside area between the boarding gates and the passageway is said to be too narrow to let people pass by up and down to other gates, the shops and the bar etc. It was suggested that there are not enough toilets in the new terminal and the lack of more men's urinals came in for special notice! You'll just have to hold your beer, men!
What galled the host of the show, Neil Prendeville, was the lack of comment from Cork Airport on the matters and the line being spun is it is not the airport's policy to discuss operational issues and from a throway newspaper in Cork this week it looks like it is deemed a security risk to discuss whether the sole airbridge is working or not!
Uniquely Cork or wha'? Does anyone know if an on-line version of this show is available? I'd say it'd be a scream to listen to!
Stone mad!
Last edited by Tom the Tenor; 20th Sep 2006 at 14:13.