CORK - 5

[high meadow 19]

Gatwick flights

Sorry to burst your bubble again Provance but there were never 6 return Gatwick flights. True EZY did have 3 and FR had 2 making a grand total of 5 flights daily at very peak. Yes, as you say one can dream but dont hold your breath about a Cork -Gatwick EI service......since EI opened their LGW base last year all, or virtually all, of LGW EI sevices are operated by LGW BASED aircraft.

[irish laddie]

Sorry to burst your bubble again Provance but there were never 6 return Gatwick flights. True EZY did have 3 and FR had 2 making a grand total of 5 flights daily at very peak.

Thats more or less correct. Very shortly prior to the EZY withdrawl announcement a 3rd Ryanair ORK-LGW however went into the booking engine. Itwas a very early morning departure,something like 620/625 from what I remember.

Rather predictably once EZY made their announcement these extra flights disappeared very quickly afterwards.

EDIT: From a post on the Cork - 2 thread in July 2006:

As things stand at the moment, the flights to DUB and LGW would require 2 aircraft, as below:

1st plane:
06:20 LGW 09:35
10:00 DUB 12:05
12:55 LGW 16:15
16:40 DUB 18:55
19:20 LGW 22:40

The times for the first aircraft seem to fit very neatly into FR's usual way of working. The remaining flights would require a second aircraft, which would then have 2 free rotations:

2nd plane:
07:40 DUB 09:45
10:10 XXX ??:??
??:?? XXX 19:30
19:55 DUB 22:00

... but all of this could change ...

[Aisle2c]

For the last 5 weeks, I've flown on the Cork-Edinburgh route with Aer Arann and I have to compliment them for the excellent service they provided. The one unfortunate thing was that they stopped the evening flight from Aug 31. Please God they survive, but I would suggest that for next year they leave the evening Edinburgh flight in place for at least all of September. The yields for the two Fridays that I flew with them were 90%+, and talking to a number of people when flying up in the morning flight, they reckoned the same that they'd easily make money into september on the route.

I heard as well that the Prestwick-Dub route and the Glasgow-Dub routes are to be stopped, making it very difficult to get to Scotland.

My easiest way home for the last 2 weekends was Glasgow-Belfast City with Flybe and BC-Cork with Aer Arann.

[ryan2000]

Getting to Glasgow

I'd be surprised if either DUB PIK or DUB GLA were dropped. Cork PIK was operated by FR for 10 months from Dec 07 to Nov 08 but it was terminated due to a row over airport charges.

[Tom the Tenor]

It would seem sensible for RE to go for two daily Monday-Friday on Cork Edinburgh and one on Saturday and one on Sunday or alternatively how about a mix with Cork - Glasgow (GLA) on Friday, Sat & Sunday for Glasgow Celtic supporters and omitting the potential Saturday flight to Edinburgh?

I failed to check it out yesterday for myself but it is kind of funny if true. I am told that the only red and white flag flying at Cork Airport yesterday in support of the Cork Gaelic football team which was playing in the national final at Croke Park, Dublin, was a Swiss one flying from the Fire Station which is conveniently well away from the passenger terminal! When I heard the story last night it cracked me up! Wonder why the new terminal is so bereft of national symbols like the tricolour? The only one that I know of is one flying atop the old terminal. You know, there seems to be a lack of pride by Cork people with it's new terminal and as for that silly hedge at the Airport Roundabout! You might think it would be a good idea to put up a nice bright coloured stone marbled block instead saying something like Welcome to Cork Airport - you local airport on your doorstep!

A great pity that the Cork football team were beaten in yesterday's final. The city and county could have done with a win. At least, though, the Cork football team keep trying and trying. Wonder can the same be said for the Cork Airport Authority or are they just the whipping boys of the Dublin Airport Authority? Heard that there are loads of new airbridges fitted to the new terminal in Dublin. Can someone post a photo, please? We might be able to tie in some comment on the matter for our collective amusement!

[Angry Rebel]

Noticed the airbridge was back in action tonight. Iberworld flight was pulled up to it when I came in on the EI LHR flight and we went in alongside.

CAA should discount the use of the airbridge to half nothing or even let them use it for free. The punter who "drives" it is no doubt around anyway so there is no direct variable cost to using it bar a bit of electricity...

[Aisle2c]

Originally Posted by Ryan2000

I'd be surprised if either DUB PIK or DUB GLA were dropped. Cork PIK was operated by FR for 10 months from Dec 07 to Nov 08 but it was terminated due to a row over airport charges.

It was told to me by two regular business travellers, to Scotland from Cork.

[Aisle2c]

Originally Posted by Tom the Tenor

It would seem sensible for RE to go for two daily Monday-Friday on Cork Edinburgh and one on Saturday and one on Sunday or alternatively how about a mix with Cork - Glasgow (GLA) on Friday, Sat & Sunday for Glasgow Celtic supporters and omitting the potential Saturday flight to Edinburgh?

100% agree, it would make lots of sense.

[Aisle2c]

Originally Posted by Angry Rebel

CAA should discount the use of the airbridge to half nothing or even let them use it for free. The punter who "drives" it is no doubt around anyway so there is no direct variable cost to using it bar a bit of electricity...

We can only dream

It makes absolutely no sense to build a terminal that is built to perfectly suit airbridges, and only install one airbridge yet insist on charging for it. As small as Belfast City Airport is, it is perfectly suited to making people walk up the steps of the airplane, with arrivals & departures on the ground floor, although even they have an airbridge which was in constant use when I was passing through.

[840]

IIRC Re are down to a single aircraft based in Cork, so double-daily to Edinburgh is very unlikely. They'd need to add another aircraft, which means finding several profitable rotations for it.

TBH Cork-Scotland should have more than a single ATR a day. Edinburgh has been served as much as 3x daily (Aer Arann and Jetmagic), while we've had a variety of operators to Glasgow and Prestwick.

In hindsight, the Ryanair service to Prestwick was one of the worst things that happened to Cork. It made Scotland unprofitable for other carriers and then they just disappeared leaving a weakened route network.

[Tom the Tenor]

Well, if it is smaller & tidier terminals with airbridges that you want to relate to you dont have to go much further than the new terminal at Aeropuerto de Menorca in Mahon. She Who Must Be Obeyed & I were there last week. The terminal is a real case of Keep It Simple, Stupid! A big rectangular box which is a little longer than at Cork with five airbridges attached. The difference to Cork, is I think, that most of the stands at Menorca can probably take widebody aeroplanes. There are then a good few remote stands one which seems to host almost permanently a Swiftair ATR. Most of the airbridges were in use by Thomas Cook, Air Europa, Iberia. Our First Choice/TOM A320 parked remotely on our arrival and on our departure we were up to a terminal stand minus the use of the airbridge but we were put on Cobuses for the extemely short journey from the terminal to aeroplane which made nearly every adult pax roar with laughter. Interestingly, there are two smoking areas airside which seems hardly unreasonable for nervous pax going on lengthy, cramped flights. Menorca handles about 4 million pax a year so up to last year at least may be compared with Cork. Such a simple, well done design. Okay, I know the original new roof at Menorca caved in and that must have created quite a storm at the time but still the case holds for the simle, straightforwardly designed Menorcan terminal. Runway there not much bigger than Cork either, about 7800 feet or thereabouts.

It would have been so easy to get it right at Cork and if for no other reason than the aesthetic at least two more airbridges should be put up at Cork and just make the likes of Ryanair use them like at Palma and Madrid and if they dont, well, let them go to snn! There has been no hesitation in putting so many new airbridges in the new Dublin terminal so why not complete the unfinished job at Cork.

And by the way, Cork badly needs to be taken out of the DAA empire, it is really stangling the place so let us get the airbridges in fast. Winter will be with us in weeks!

[ryan2000]

Cork terminal.

Cork's terminal cost far more than was neccessary. It is visually very attractive but was the roof really worth it? Sacrificing airbridges and other essential items that were chopped when cost were spiralling out of control. It's a disgrace that passengers have to climb two flights of stairs.

Why have Aerlingus a problem with using airbridges at Cork when they use them everywhere else? It was there decision not to use them that prompted the DAA to cancel them and one was provided more as as a sop to the locals.



The short term car park is also turning out to be a white elephant with only 2 of the five floors being occupied due to the cost of parking and the lack of visitor friendly facilities in the terminal.

There is no chance of the CAA or the SAA getting independence in the short or medium term. They simply would be unviable due to their massive wage bills and other related costs. Why do you think the staff were so nervous when the proposed break up was announced in 2003?

The danger now is that the DAA with its major difficulties in Dublin will no longer be able to carry them.

[Aisle2c]

Originally Posted by ryan2000

It's a disgrace that passengers have to climb two flights of stairs.

Amen to that. Even if they never have another airbridge, they should be made install escalators that continue to ground level, so that they reverse them depending on arrival or departure.

[Tom the Tenor]

Where ever the responsibility lies there was certainly a shocking exhibition of arrogance shown by the airport bosses when it came to the lack of visitor friendly facilities in the design of the new Cork terminal. Decades of tradition wiped out by not allowing locals to see the aeroplanes and meet & greet friends and relations and to have a pint etc. Arrogant thoughtlessness all right and the same mindset continued in the way the arriving passengers have to climb so many flights of stairs. It is a bit sick to see aircrew from the resident airlines being in a position to dodge off when their job is done and pop up the lift & away while some of their passengers of a few minutes earlier, some with reduced mobility and stiff limbs after cramped flights having to traipse up flights of stairs. That is what you might call a grand Cead Mile Failte go Corcaigh?

And now because of the national economic crisis there is a suggestion that the Dublin Airport Authority may be less able to carry Cork & Shannon. If that is what they would like to see happen the DAA should sell off both Cork and Shannon for a euro and let the Cute Hoors types take over, pay off the DAA staff, and let some crowd with a Ryanair type management make something of it. Why not? After all, it was not only during the last year of the recession Cork began losing many of it's best routes and airlines, eg CSA, Malev, easyJet etc.

It is one thing to lose out on good airlines and routes but another not to redouble the work to replace them with airlines and routes of equal status. Cork had it very good and so much of it has now slipped away.

What will Cork be left with now and into the future?

Some poxy, kiss of death deal with Ryanair? Green shoots my ass!

How are yez all enjoying yer Peking Duck? They are very good at Ducking & Diving in Cork! Any sign of trouble wheel in the public relations company and hide behind their skirts. Ah, there are some very big men in Cork all right.

[Aisle2c]

1000% agree, Tom.

The thought of a Ryanair dominated Cork Airport is a scary thought.

[EISNN]

some one asked in the previous page why EI won't pay to use the air bridge. the answer is that the DAA/CAA were looking to charge for well above industry average for the use of it and so advised the relevant authority that they wouldn't use em. Why does EI have to be relied upon to be the only airline to use the airbridge(s) anyway? Did CAA/DAA not intend any other operator to use the airbridge facilities?

As for another comment I've been down in ORK a number of times and I like it bar all the steps. All the airport staff are very friendly and there's a great atmosphere down there. EVERYTIME. It's not their fault that the facilities - airbridges, lifts etc - are not available to the general public.

[Tom the Tenor]

Interesting reamarks, EISNN. It is high time the industry average lark was taken out of an issue like using Cork's sole airbridge. To get the airlines familiar again with the use of the airbridge the CAA ought to to decree (for the want of a better expression) that any airliners bar, I guess the RE ATRs, that park at the airbridge stand must use the airbridge. Neither EI or FR could complain as both companies are more than happy to use 'em at outstations - whether FR are charged for the privilege or not in MAD and PMI I dont know but I somehow doubt it.

In what I presume was the Dublin thread Akerosid said that Manchester and Dublin were competing for some extra Ethiad rotations from Abu Dhabi. There is no reason why Cork could not get in on the act here in my opinion except for Cork being a part of the accursed DAA empire. The last thing the selfish curs in Dublin would want is for anywhere else in Ireland like Cork to have a sniff of a chance with something like the possibility of extra Ethiad rotations being on offer. It is a damn shame that the Ethiad which sought a diversion to Cork during last winter was refused the request. Does anyone know if this was at the bidding of the airport authority or the handler?

Qatar have recently announced a new Doha Cyprus service. Here again, I think Cork could make a bid. Maybe on two days a week Qatar could send the aeroplane to Cork and again stop off at Cyprus on the eastbound service to Doha and futher connections into Asia & Australasia? Worth a go at least in the summer time & have fifth freedom to Cyprus?

[840]

I can't think of any aircraft that could make it off Cork's runway and get the whole way to the Gulf. Maybe an ER variant of the 767, but I don't think any Gulf carriers are flying them.

Somewhere with a stop on the way, might make more sense. Emirates have operated to Malta via Cyprus in the past. However, I'm not sure Cyprus is the best location. Even that would be restrictive from an aircraft perspective. Some charters to Cyprus have been known to tech stop on the way because of fuel/weight restrictions out of Cork.

What you need to find is an airport in Italy, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro etc. that can't justify flights to the Gulf on its own, is far enough from a major airport that it has a large catchment and which could also generate some passengers between Cork and that destination. Can't think of too many candidates.

[Tom the Tenor]

Well, there is another good one that I can think of but I guess the DAA's Golden Circle would reject that too in order to maximise the benefit in Dublin's favour. Both leisure and business travellers. It would be sweet, I am sure.

Guess where?

[ryan2000]

Ethiad and Cork

Not sure if Ethiad has Cork as its first alternate. On the day in question when Dublin was snowbound the A330 diverted to Shannon. I agree that Cork has not been a diversion friendly airport in the past.

The various agencies generally trotted out lame excuses about lack of staff, lack of surface transport etc etc.

In fairness to Shannon they generally pride themselves at being able to handle medical diversions, weather diversions and technical diversions at short notice.

On the wider issue Cork is a long way off flights to the Gulf. Better roads have merely increased the pulling power of Dublin to all but County Cork and South Kerry.

From what I hear they'd want to watch their existing portfolio of routes very carefully.