Originally Posted by
gaelgeoir
PLEASE........given the extremely serious debt facing Cork's management, I find facile statements such as those highlighted above to be absolutely meaningless.
Well some posters are of the impression that an entrie runway should be built. That is not the case.Humour me for a moment.....
There are two issues surrounding the runway, runway length and crosswinds.
There is already an X runway at ORK, and it has been used in recent days by EIs 320s. Given that the use of this runway would need strong Xwinds, a pretty short extension should do the trick. It may also be possibe to install CAT III to this runway more easily than it would to the current primary runway.
As I understand it the current runway at ORK is unlikely ever to be Cat III equipped, due to terrain, etc. However this runway could be used for take offs in most condtions. If ORK is ever to get a susatined transatlantic service the runway could be extended. The shorter extension of the current primary, would in all probability cost much less than building a new runawy parallel to 05/27 and tuning that into a taxi way.
With the use of two runways operational felxibility and effeciencies would arise. Think about for a second, as one aircraft can use one runway as a taxiway, while the other takes-off/lands on the other. Seem logical to me.
After the fiasco that is the current terminal debt, ORK needs cost effective, and effctove solutions to teh current problems. While I am not an expert on the geography and land usage around the airport, I would imagine that there is more scope to extend the Xrunway than the primary. How many diversions have there been due to fog and winds this winter? Look at the costs the airlines whould have been spared in fuel, busses and positioning if their planes could land at the airport instead of going to DUB/SNN.
The question would surely arrise, why would you build a brand new runway instead of extending the one(s) already in pace to offer a similar solution.