IRELAND WEST AIRPORT KNOCK

[Kinocker]

It seems to be NOC with one or two others that are gone with the rest remaining.

Looks like anything over two hours from Reus to a non base has being dropped.

The new sun routes did take a chunk out of the numbers flying NOC-REU in the key mid summer months this year, the route was 500 pax down in July and 400 down in August. Nonetheless the loads were still decent and I'd expect that (if it is gone) an alternative sun route will be installed in its place in the coming weeks as the issue seems to be moreso at the Reus end than at Knock.

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Its mostly old news at this stage but I stumbled across this article in the Western People from a couple of months ago when Varadkar and O'Leary were at Knock. A few interesting references other than what has been discussed already - O'Leary apparently claiming he will add another 12 routes from Knock in the next five years, Varadkar promising to continue to fund airport improvements and Joe Gilmore saying that the search for a carrier to operate US flights continues. It was probably one of those events where a lot of loose talk was flying about that might ultimately amount to little of substance but I thought it was worth posting even now a few months on.

Ryanair will double flights into Knock


RYANAIR plans to add three new routes to Ireland West Airport Knock by next summer and to double its number of services in the next five years.

As the low fares airline welcomed its four millionth passenger to the airport yesterday (Monday), CEO Michael O’Leary said he is committed to increasing the number of destinations to and from Knock. Since Ryanair’s first flight from Knock to Luton in 1987, the company now operates 12 routes from the airport and aims to add another 12 in the next five years. Mr O’Leary said that by next summer the low-cost airline hopes to have an additional UK destination and two more European routes on Knock’s schedule. However, he remained tight-lipped on the exact locations.

"I don’t like my competitors knowing where we’re flying to until right before we announce it," he said.

The outspoken CEO praised the work of the independently run airport.

"Knock is thankfully not a government-run airport. It is a local airport run by local people and succeeds where airports run by dead-handed governments don’t," he added.

Mr O’Leary urged the airport to forget about restoring transatlantic flights and to concentrate instead on the German, Italian, French and Spanish markets.

Joe Gilmore, managing director of Ireland West Airport Knock, said discussions were taking place about the possibility of flights to the US.

Mr Gilmore commented that the airport continues to buck the recession with an impressive 650,000 passengers coming through Knock last year. A recent study showed that €111 million was spent locally in 2010 by people who used the airport, contributing directly to more than 800 jobs in the region.

Mr Gilmore also stressed that the airport was keen to get direct access to Germany, French and Italian tourists. Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar, who was making his first visit to the airport, said the Knock story was a "phenomenal success". Loss-making airports like Shannon could learn from the way it is run, he said.

While warning that funding for regional airports will continue to decline in the years ahead, Minister Varadkar said the government would not be "walking away from Knock" and promised several million euro will be provided to carry out essential works, including runway improvements.

WesternPeople: Ryanair will double flights into Knock