CORK - 5

[Tom the Tenor]

You can bet too that if Cork was not on guard as much as it has been over the last few years the dirty would have again been done to Cork because it is only when you start hollerin' & roarin' and crying out that Cork gets anything close to a chance of a good and fair deal from what is essentially the same old Aer Rianta managment in the DAA HQ. Never, ever forget the political favour shown elsewhere for generations and which is still in play to this very day.

The lessons of Irish air transport history are there to be studied by all.

I see that Monarch and Thomsonfly are booked in for a number of charter flights for the Munster rugby game in Coventry next weekend. So far it looks like a combination of 737, 757 & A321 & RE ATR equipment being used for the flights with one extra rotation by both EI & FR to BHX & EMA. The new terminal should be getting a good workout with all that extra traffic!

Munster abu!

[Copenhagen]

Jezus tom - can you give it a rest. The Aer Rianta as it was gave Cork an airport to be proud of, and a terminal that is the best in these isles for an airport its size. One minute this thread is demanding that the old guard of Aer Rianta managers come back to Run Cork, and the next minute the same people are slamming those same people.

Under Aer Rianta cork was an airport. If it was profitable it didnt really matter. Under the new management team, cork is a business. The seperation will not be finished by this time next year. The big elephant in the room is the Unions. I firmly believe that the staff want to work in an airport, rather than in a business.

[ryan2000]

Staff at Cork

Staff not happy with Independence ? I wonder why?

[Outoftheblue22]

Air Southwest make a welcome return to Cork on the 28th April, with a daily service to Newquay, plus a link to Plymouth four days a week.

[Angry Rebel]

To clarify, so that I avoid the ire of helpful and constructive posters like Copenhagen.

• I didn't mean the fact that it has gates on both sides
• I know it's not fully operational due to portacabin city
• It's not intended for an A330 so why judge it on it?
• I know Cork is bright and airy (brian_dromey: I pass through it at least once a fortnight)
• I appreciate that Pier D is only a Pier, I was only commenting on the passenger experience

What I was trying to say was, it has many of the attractive features that Cork has, such as being bright and airy. However, whilst I do like the design of Cork, my point is, (if anyone cares to debate meaningfully), is that the new terminal in Cork delivered a fantastic building, but one for which, for the money involved, could have provided a far better foundation for the future if it was a bit less fancy, but twice the capacity.

In 3 years time, when you are struggling to get a seat in departures, after it takes 20 minutes to clear security, when you're gagging for a cup of tea but can't get it from the woefully slow two options....will you swap the beautifully designed roof for more space and more gates?

[Angry Rebel]

Let me add a comment from Joe Gill of Goodbody Stockbrokers from this mornings Examiner (a very good article). You'll note he's not saying it's not a nice building, just that for the money involved it could have been better (definition of better in this case: something that will be productive and fit for purpose for many years to come, not something nice to look at)

"We have previously argued the new terminal at Cork Airport was a poor use of capital. New low cost terminals are being built in the US (by GE) and Europe, that can manage larger passenger volumes at least 50% cheaper than the cost of the new Cork cathedal".

To be clear, so I don't get mugged, I'm not saying the terminal shouldn't have been nicely designed, or a pleasure to look at. Just that they didn't get the balance of priorities right between function and form.

[dubh12000]

Absolutely. Nice to look at, but not very practical. This summer will prove it.

• Not enough space between desk and entrance at check in.
• Escalators will be turned off due to the queue through security.
• Not enough seating airside.

Went through Prague recently. Couldn't help thinking that this is what Cork should have been.

[Aisle2c]

To Brian Dromey :

A World class airport ?

• A security setup that is a thundering disgrace for a small airport, let alone a "World class airport".
• One airbridge (out of action for months), with passengers being "encouraged" to use 3 flights of stairs.
• Consequently parents are forced to carry their offspring to the baggage hall because buggies are not being delivered to the airplane steps.
• Still a crap setdown area including the V in the road where you turn off for the old terminal.
• Not enough seating airside, with queues blocking passageways especially at gates 4, 5 and 6.

The only thing world class are the extortionate landing fees being charged. We've been kippered by the Bertie Airport Authority, so please less of the platitudes. We are stuck with Mickey Martin's cronies in the CAA and a chairman who wouldn't beat a jellyfish in the backbone stakes.

Oh yes, we in Cork will be decades off being a threat to the DAA (not we ever were anyway), the dubs have seen to that. If the CAA were independent before the new terminal was built, do you honestly think that they would have gone for a terminal that would have left them with over €100m debt ?

[thejuggler]

Joe Gantly quits

Just announced on 96fm local radio news
Joe Gantly, Chairman Cork Airport Authority has announced his resignation. Make of it what you will.

[EC-ILS]

Buggies not being delivered at the aircraft side is nothing to do with the airport itslf, blame Aer Lingus and Servisair fopr that. Thats unfortunatley happens at every airport sometimes.

[Aisle2c]

Rejoice ! Rejoice ! Rejoice !

In time honoured fashion, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[Aisle2c]

"Buggies not being delivered at the aircraft side is nothing to do with the airport itslf, blame Aer Lingus and Servisair fopr that. Thats unfortunatley happens at every airport sometimes."

And imo the reason they are doing that is to "encourage" people to use the stairs, otherwise the groundstaff would have to bring them up in the lift.

[en2r]

Joe Gantly, Chairman Cork Airport Authority has announced his resignation.

Thats brilliant news! I suppose he'd done what he was appointed to do, i.e. get the board to accept the debt. Hopefully now we'll get a new chairman who actually knows something about running an airport and who actually wants Cork to suceed!

"Buggies not being delivered at the aircraft side is nothing to do with the airport itslf, blame Aer Lingus and Servisair fopr that. Thats unfortunatley happens at every airport sometimes."

And imo the reason they are doing that is to "encourage" people to use the stairs, otherwise the groundstaff would have to bring them up in the lift.

I know someone who works for Servisair and they were given orders that they were not to give passengers buggies at the planes. Apparantly its company practice. They were threatened with sacking if they did. The odd servisair handler still does give the buggies at the plane when the supervisors aren't looking.

[brian_dromey]

In 3 years time, when you are struggling to get a seat in departures, after it takes 20 minutes to clear security, when you're gagging for a cup of tea but can't get it from the woefully slow two options....will you swap the beautifully designed roof for more space and more gates?

The security area is currently working at about 1/4 of its capacity. Ultimately this area can fit at least 6 x-ray machines as opposed to the three currently installed, of which a maximum of 2 are ever used concurrently. When 6 x-ray machines are running full belt and the queues are down the stairs come back to me then. Its not the buildings fault that the operator has chosen not to fully outfit it, is it?

[quote]0. One airbridge (out of action for months), with passengers being "encouraged" to use 3 flights of stairs.[quote]
No one uses the damn thing, blame the airlines for that, not the building.

0. Consequently parents are forced to carry their offspring to the baggage hall because buggies are not being delivered to the airplane steps.

How is this the fault of the airport building itself? Blame Aer Lingus, Sky Handling Partner and Servisair

0. Still a crap setdown area including the V in the road where you turn off for the old terminal.

I agree with you here. The layout is poor and the signage is very bad. There is too many options in to little space, but looks like we're stuck with that now.

Not enough seating airside, with queues blocking passageways especially at gates 4, 5 and 6.

Again I totally agree with you here. I think there was a lot of space lost in this area as a result of cost cutting by Aer Rianta. However, by reorganizing the seating and queueing areas I think things could be significantly improved. Compared to the likes of LGW, STN or even Pier D there is not marked deficit of seating, certainly though if the terminal was processing anything like 5 million passengers a year things would be very busy.

I also agree about the retail and food options. The only way there is going to be room for more is to build above the dutyfree/resturant/lounge/security and airside bar area. I understand the originally planned steel was not used so this might be difficult, but should still be possible. To maintain the current footprint its the only way, and probably the cheapest too.

I think ORK has as fine a passenger experience as you will find anywhere, if it was not, I'd say so. No airport is perfect and ORK defiantly has flaws, but a lot of them could be ironed out if the CAA made fairly superficial changes to the security screening area and redesigned the seating and barrier arrangement around the gates.

Oh, and Joe.....don't let the door hit you on the way out. Who might be in a position to replace him? I nominate TTT

Brian.

[CorkEICK]

In 3 years time, when you are struggling to get a seat in departures, after it takes 20 minutes to clear security,....

You dont have to wait until 2011 for this to happen. Pay a visit anytime during the morning rush and you wud do well to get through in 30 minutes. I agree not a building problem but a "manning" issue which the people who should be thinking about customer care dont even bother thinking about it.

[en2r]

You dont have to wait until 2011 for this to happen. Pay a visit anytime during the morning rush and you wud do well to get through in 30 minutes. I agree not a building problem but a "manning" issue which the people who should be thinking about customer care dont even bother thinking about it.

I know, I travelled to Dublin in November on the first Ryanair flight at 7.40 and I was 25 minutes queueing for security. As far as I recall all 3 x-ray machines were in use. They really need to install at least another x-ray machine for peak times. There is plenty of space as the machines are currently quite spaced out.

[brian_dromey]

They really need to install at least another x-ray machine for peak times. There is plenty of space as the machines are currently quite spaced out.

But don't the plant pots with plastic greenery and the (mis-matching) office partitions add that certain something? You'll miss them when the're gone!

[840]

Talking of the airbridge, is there any word on when it will be back in service? It's been months now since the problem with it and there seems to have been no action. Is there a question over who is liable for repair costs?

More mysterious is why Wer Lingus were boarding at Gate 5 this morning as though there was an airbridge in operation (Rows 15-29 first), even though it was boarding by steps at both ends of the aircraft...

[peacock1]

'Tis quicker to use steps front and back, than use a 'bridge.
Allegedly.

[eirbus06]

Sids and Stars

they were due to come into operation today. any idea if they have?