CORK - 5

[CabinCrewe]

All the following QR Euro routes started and some remain as -
STR - 4 times per week
OSL - 5 times per week
ATH - 5 times per week
SOF - 4 times per week
OTP - 4 times per week
NCE - 3 times per week
MXP - 3 times per week

[Copenhagen]

Guys, can we firstly stop entertaining TTT on his ideas of non stop services to the Middle East? How many Airports in Europe with the catchment that Cork has have a non stop service to the Gulf? Perhaps when the 320Neo comes about, then aircraft may have the legs to do a route like this.

Secondly, isn't it great that the airport is full, with 90% loads on new seevices and EI using a more remote stand - a long time since this complaint was heard of.

Thirdly, let's stop running down cork - it's the best regional airport in Europe.

Finally, back to the Tenor - your Taj Mahal comments are four years past mildly humorous. Can't we keep the discussion on Cork, and leave the petty jealousies to boards.ie.

[barrymah]

@jack and others

I didn't have family, others did, and they might find the walk long, as well as the climb, or the lift (queue for that was long). Gate 5 is at one end of the building, passport office in the middle. We won't go over the airbridge nonsense again, but the walk is LONG.

Apropos shuttle, never noticed it, should I have? I remember using it in the old days. My point here is that the access by foot to the long term is ludicrous, over the hills.....

My points about the dropoff are well supplemented by 840. Oh and madame told me the bags came up on another belt, not the one mentioned and still announced on the monitors....

All the comments reinforce my point of not fit for purpose. The building/layout/access is new, ffs.

[ryan2000]

Aerlingus are reported to be using the air bridge again but there appears to be no clear policy on its use. Is it dependent on whose on or the time of day.

[Jack1985]

Aerlingus are reported to be using the air bridge again but there appears to be no clear policy on its use. Is it dependent on whose on or the time of day.

Its seems to be limited to aircraft which are not due to leave in another hour, the return Brussels service and late night Amsterdam flights have been using it.

[Fairdealfrank]

airbridges

Not noticed any airbridges in use in recent visits to the new terminal (travelling on EI). AFAIK, gates 3-6 are airbridge compatible, 1-2 and 7-8 are not. With all that rain, it's a pity not have airbridges in use on the four gates!

[Jack1985]

Not noticed any airbridges in use in recent visits to the new terminal (travelling on EI). AFAIK, gates 3-6 are airbridge compatible, 1-2 and 7-8 are not. With all that rain, it's a pity not have airbridges in use on the four gates!

It's very rare and seems to be limited towards Amsterdam, Brussels, London and Paris. It really is a pity they weren't able to proceed with the planned fixed airbridges from stands 7 through to 10. Stand 9 (with the only fixed airbridge) is heavily used by charter and ad-hoc airlines but at the end of the day airlines didn't want them and that's that!

Is it dependent on whose on or the time of day.

Seem's this could be an issue defiantly for servisair there's currently training on that stand for servisair marshallers, and I think alot of the trained Aer Lingus ground staff which were originally trained on the airbridge when the terminal opened have retired and the airline seemed not to want to retrain existing ground staff on the airbridge because they didn't use it, but this is changing soon and to my knowledge alot of Aer Lingus ground staff are also being trained on the airbridge.

[ryan2000]

Aerlingus and the Cork Airbridge

Hopefully a business case can be made for air bridges for stands 7,8 and 10. I'd respect Aerlingus' aversion to them provided they adopted the same negative attitude at Dublin , Shannon, Belfast and overseas airports. It seems that it's only in Cork that air bridges are a problem for Aerlingus although in fairness they seem to be softening in their opposition to them.

[brian_dromey]

Again, I really don't see how walks could be more than a few tens of a yard, but if that is the posters opinion, I have to accept that.
I don't accept that the airport is not fit for purpose. It meets all needs for disabled travellers and so on. The airlines using the airport have decided to use the facilities in a way never intended, as the airport was originally designed. Don't blame the building, blame the airlines.

Just sitting at the airport this morning, its great to see each of the nine based aircraft heading off across the UK and Europe. I think its not a bad show in these troubled times to see the place so busy.

[barrymah]

"I don't accept that the airport is not fit for purpose. It meets all needs for disabled travellers and so on. The airlines using the airport have decided to use the facilities in a way never intended, as the airport was originally designed. Don't blame the building, blame the airlines. "

Is that because the airlines were not part of the planning??

My main point is the access to the long term parking (despite the shuttle) and the cost, the CAA owned the field, and it doesn't have much in the way of maintenance.

"Just sitting at the airport this morning, its great to see each of the nine based aircraft heading off across the UK and Europe. I think its not a bad show in these troubled times to see the place so busy."

That's what it's for, it is after all mid-July, even if it doesn't feel like it.

[Angry Rebel]

Re fit for purpose...

The provider of infrastructure should be anticipating the future needs of users (ie airlines) and designs should reflect that.

[brian_dromey]

At the time the airport was designed Aer Lingus was by far the largest airline and still had a lot of influence. Ryanair was a small, regional airline with a few 737-200s and grandiose plans, but nothing else. Aer Lingus wanted air bridges, which forced Aer Rianta into a new terminal rather than an extension and refurbishment of the existing terminal. Between the sod being turned and the airport opening a lot changed, so some revisions were made to accommodate airlines wanting to use steps, nit air bridges as they previously wanted. As I understand it the airport was designed to deliver exactly what airlines initially asked for. 4 air bridge gates and 4 gates for non-airbridge users, to accommodate mainline, low-cost and regional operations.
As I have said, the building is not a problem, the airlines using it are.

[BlueSki]

I've seen the Aer Lingus flight to LGW using it a few days. Great to see the likes on Monarch and Onur Air using it also.

[Jack1985]

its great to see each of the nine based aircraft heading off across the UK and Europe

Nine

[ryan2000]

Brian Dromey is spot on in his analysis of what happened in the years prior to the construction of the new terminal. Aerlingus then flip flopped between being a full service airline, a low cost and a hybrid in the intervening years and by 2005 were telling the DAA that they had no intention of using air bridges at Cork.

This was music to the ears of the DAA who were already in the process of scaling back on the original design due to the massive cost of the project. Hopefully the new CEO will make fresh overtures to Aerlingus about using the 4 potential air bridge stands. The airline has no difficulty using them at Terminal 2 in Dublin so why do they make such a fuss about them in Cork?

[Jack1985]

If you do take take a look at the Aer Lingus schedule at Dublin a lot of flights have layovers of around 1 to 3 hrs between 2 pm and 5 pm allowing sufficient use of airbridges without disrupting the schedule. The main issue of not using the current airbridge is the failure of the CAA to promptly authorize ground handlers in the training of staff. Another issue which Aer Lingus used to have with the airbridge was, and I would fully have to agree with it, that they could not achieve a satisfactory turnaround time of 40 mins with the airbridge, passengers would clog the aisles and it caused a bottleneck at the bulkhead. This proved to be a particular problem with the A321 which was based to operate Heathrow flights at the time. The Aer Lingus fleet at Cork is maximized and rarely do aircraft have layovers of longer then 45 mins which means the aircraft need prompt and timely turnarounds at Cork using two stairs. The only aircraft using the airbridge at the moment seem to have long layovers (Inbound Brussels) or aircraft which are finishing there days schedule.

[PPRuNeUser0176]

Aer Lingus have used the steps at the back and airbridge at the front a few times recently in DUB, passengers who use the steps then join the rest of the passengers where passengers using the airbridge come to the hall for walking to arrivals.

Is something like this possible in Cork?

[dublinaviator]

Originally Posted by ryan2000

The airline has no difficulty using them at Terminal 2 in Dublin so why do they make such a fuss about them in Cork?

Probably because the only air bridge collapsed while an Aer Lingus flight was boarding a few years ago...

[Jack1985]

Probably because the only air bridge collapsed while an Aer Lingus flight was boarding a few years ago...

Collapsing due too faulty maintenance the aircraft was not damaged in that incident. The floor collapsed but the airbridge continued forward causing the aircraft to shudder. Aer Lingus I believe received a settlement from the DAA due to the disruption of flights caused (aircraft was made non-op for 5hrs). The DAA are responsible for the maintanance of the sole airbridge, with the CAA responsible for the running of it.

[Aisle2c]

Originally Posted by brian dromey

At the time the airport was designed Aer Lingus was by far the largest airline and still had a lot of influence. Ryanair was a small, regional airline with a few 737-200s and grandiose plans, but nothing else. Aer Lingus wanted air bridges, which forced Aer Rianta into a new terminal rather than an extension and refurbishment of the existing terminal. Between the sod being turned and the airport opening a lot changed, so some revisions were made to accommodate airlines wanting to use steps, nit air bridges as they previously wanted. As I understand it the airport was designed to deliver exactly what airlines initially asked for. 4 air bridge gates and 4 gates for non-airbridge users, to accommodate mainline, low-cost and regional operations.
As I have said, the building is not a problem, the airlines using it are.

On the contrary Brian, imo, as a passenger, the building is very much the problem !

We've gone from the old terminal where the passenger wasn't forced up a number of flights of stairs, to a supposedly better terminal where 99% of passengers have no choice but to climb the stairs.

Having 4 air bridge gates is damn all use when only one of them have airbridges, and I would also ask the question are airlines charged for using airbridges in all other airports ?