Well EI-RB lets just review what Cork has been so fortunate to get from DAA ( Aer Rianta)
A State of the Art New Terminal Building...... We lets say an Impressive New Terminal Building. Definitely not state of the art. Just read the earlier postings in this thread and you will see the extent of the drawbacks of the new building.
What we can say we were to have got was........
(1) A terminal capacity of 5Mil pax
(2) Aircraft Stand and Apron extensions
(3) A new Control Tower
(4) 4 new airbridges
(5) A new Cargo village
(6) Untimately a parallel taxiway for Runway 17/35
(7) A new autonomous local board to run the Airport
All for the pricely sum of €160Mil to be bourne by DAA.
What we did get was....
(1) A terminal capacity of 3Mil pax
(2) Much reduced apron extension than what was planned
(3) 1 Airbridge which STILL has not been comissioned.
(4) A cancellation of the plan for a new control tower
(5) A cancellation of the plan for a parallel taxiway
(6) A deferring of the cargo village
(7) A board of YES MEN who can't say boo without DAA authority
(8) A crippling Debt
All for the pricely overbudget sum of €200Mil
As for the new Board, they were APPOINTED by the Government AND the DAA, and have had their hands tied ever since in view of their lack of any autonomous authority. The DAA were also responsible for the continuous changing and cutting of the plans for the new Airport to such an extent that the original plans and the structure now standing bear very little resemblence.
So yet I suppose we should be over the moon with what we have got, AND we will be so happy to get the cast off trollies from DAA in January.
I only wish the Government/DAA also thought like you and said sell Cork off to private control - that way it would operate and develop its true potential without continuous hinderance from DAA and uncertainty from the Government.