A few interesting items of news from yesterday concerning Cork Airport. A US registered Gulfstream 5 arrived from Aberdeen and just after noon she flew directly to Houston (IAH), Texas. That has got to be one of the longest non-stop flights ever ex Cork? This flight must surely have been oil related?
Mr Michael Cawley, deputy CEO of Ryanair, whom is also a Cork man has come out in support of Cork Airport being debt free and that she should not be saddled with the cost of what the DAA were responsible for to begin with and that the DAA can absorb the new terminal's cost by dipping in to the war chest of cash after it's interests in Birmingham, Dusseldorf and Hamburg Airport were sold along with the monies received from the sale of the Great Southern Hotel Group. At last a bit of fire from a promient Cork aviation man for his native city's own airport.
The board of the CAA had been due to be quizzed before the Oireachtas (Parliamentary) Committe on Transport yesterday but Mr Joe Gatley, the CAA chairman, decided not to attend on the grounds that the mediator appointed by the Transport Minister has now begun his work and that the CAA have formed a sub committe to negotiate on the matter of the debt with Mr Peter Cassells whom was former chief of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and whom is expected to issue his report to the Minister by 7th March.
At first I was sort of impressed by such a well respected figure as Mr Cassells being set the task of mediation between Cork, Dublin and the DAA.
However, the more I think about it the more I am beginning to think it may be just smoke and mirrors. I feel that it is all just so contrived.
I am minded to (believe it or not) agree with Mr Cawley that it may be a pointless exercise and that more than that it might be just a classic Bertie Aherne fudge to get him and his dithering government out of the committment it gave on Cork Airport in 2003.