The "value for money" report mentions numerous times that the reason Kerry and Knock are achieving much higher pax figures and therefore more viable than the others is that they have the "Jet" runway. Yet it recomends Waterford just receives operational support for the next few years to see if it can become more viable..but then it recommends it does not receive grant aid to allow them reach similiar figures. In other words they will not "help them to help themselves"
Recent figures estimate that the runway and associated infrastructure could be done for approx 15m. Surely this has to be money well spent. The exchequer would get some back through taxes from workers and materials used to build it, plus te airport would no doubt need to hire a few more staff and then theres the biggest pay off what an extra 150-200,000 inbound vistors would spend in the region. The report acknowledges that the Southeast is an untapped market with much more potential for inbound tourism and that already the airport has the second highest percentage of inbound tourists to the region who use the local airport.
The benefit to the region of the increase in pax would surely far exceed the 15m needed to get there.
Also it is the closest airport to Dublin with a brand new motorway between the two, along with the new Waterford city by-pass and the new airport road makes access to much bigger cathement area and could help in a small way to relieve the pressure on Dublin airport. A study has shown that potential passengers as far north as Naas would save little time in using Dublin over Waterford with the added bonus of easy uncongested processing that would come with a using a small airport.
It just does'nt make sense to me...especially when ye see the 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 they have given to the banks!!!!
I think the report should have recommended giving the funding as soon as money is available...then again maybe the new minister for transport will think the same!!