CORK - 5
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Cork, Ireland
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There is a rumour coming from the airport which needs airing due to the disturbing nature it has. There was a recent meeting between the management at Cork Airport and the Minister for Transport about the current state of the airport following recent newspaper, radio and local political comment.
As the saying goes there was, apparently, a fairly full and frank exchange of views between the airport and Minister!
The rub though is that some time later following the meeting there appears to have been a response from the Department to the Cork management reprimanding the Corkonians for the lack of deference shown to the Minister on the day!
However, it gets even better! In more recent days it appears that the Department has once again been in contact with the folk from Cork Airport reminding them to not be referring too much to the sweet deals Shannon has got in the last year or two.
Curiouser and curiouser, or what!
As the saying goes there was, apparently, a fairly full and frank exchange of views between the airport and Minister!
The rub though is that some time later following the meeting there appears to have been a response from the Department to the Cork management reprimanding the Corkonians for the lack of deference shown to the Minister on the day!
However, it gets even better! In more recent days it appears that the Department has once again been in contact with the folk from Cork Airport reminding them to not be referring too much to the sweet deals Shannon has got in the last year or two.
Curiouser and curiouser, or what!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ireland
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Allowing airlines to switch from paying full charges at Cork to token charges at Shannon sets up the prospect of a Dutch Auction between the two as Cork can entice these airlines back with the same sort of deal once the incentives run out. The only loser in all of this will be the taxpayer who will almost certainly be left with two white elephant airports in the South of the country.
The Government should instruct the DAA and the SAA that incentives can only be given for genuine new routes and not ones that merely move traffic 80 miles up or down the N20. That policy worked very well in the past untill Shannon was set free in 2012.
The Government should instruct the DAA and the SAA that incentives can only be given for genuine new routes and not ones that merely move traffic 80 miles up or down the N20. That policy worked very well in the past untill Shannon was set free in 2012.
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Northern Ireland
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Ryan2000,
I agree with your comments. However, I'm inclined to say that Cork may now be able to attract airlines on a sustainable scale of charges, ie charge a realistic price and attract new airlines. This is in preference to bargain basement charges to attract volume routes of little return. The new Prague route is encouraging. If FR is not incentived to grow ar Cork, they can have their little niche at Shannon and Cork may just grow a sustainable business model that does not rely on state subsidies... Just my opinion.
I agree with your comments. However, I'm inclined to say that Cork may now be able to attract airlines on a sustainable scale of charges, ie charge a realistic price and attract new airlines. This is in preference to bargain basement charges to attract volume routes of little return. The new Prague route is encouraging. If FR is not incentived to grow ar Cork, they can have their little niche at Shannon and Cork may just grow a sustainable business model that does not rely on state subsidies... Just my opinion.
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Ireland
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Hopefully that'll happen EI-BUD. Cork built up a particularly strong portfolio of airlines in the mid 2000's but the aviation scene in the U.K. and Europe has changed significantly since those days. Hard to see growth without Aerlingus or Ryanair adopting a more positive attitude towards expansion there.
Join Date: Apr 2004
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Challenge for Cork will be to stay above 2 million pax in 2015. Signs are not good though with no plans among the major customers to grow their schedules. Czech Airlines will be a plus but there are cutbacks planned for many routes particularly in Quarter 2 and during the August peak season.
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Dublin
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Any idea if the 72 being pulled from SEN will come to ORK and serve DUB?
LPA loss is only because TOM are dropping it next summer and no other carrier is available to operate it ex DUB.
LPA loss is only because TOM are dropping it next summer and no other carrier is available to operate it ex DUB.
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Dublin
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Yeah but the ORK flight is being moved to DUB as TOM are flying DUB-Kos during the slot which operated LPA ex DUB last year. Aer Europa unable to provide both flights.
Not being dropped because of poor numbers anyway!
Not being dropped because of poor numbers anyway!
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Cork, Ireland
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That being the case, EI A330 300, I hope the Marketing Department at Cork get to see your post on this matter. I am sure an airline like Alba Star could be contacted to see if they could operate this flight from/to Las Palmas.
Be it 169 pax or so on a 737-400 or 189 pax on a 737-800 a week both ways over the course of a summer season it is a good number of airport fees for Cork Airport and it might make the difference between exceeding the 2 millon pax for 2015.
There are too many Cork passengers bussing it to Dublin these days - they don't need the Cork Las Palmas passengers as well.
Be it 169 pax or so on a 737-400 or 189 pax on a 737-800 a week both ways over the course of a summer season it is a good number of airport fees for Cork Airport and it might make the difference between exceeding the 2 millon pax for 2015.
There are too many Cork passengers bussing it to Dublin these days - they don't need the Cork Las Palmas passengers as well.
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Dublin
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Tom
As you will know the charter market has being in decline as many carriers have gone bust over the last number of years and its becoming difficult to source such carriers. Then there is the cost side of contracting such operators balancing it with what the public would be and scheduled carriers like FR at ORK.
The airline you suggest only operate from PMI mainly and positing an aircraft to LPA and back to operate ORK just wouldn't be viable.
DUB-LPA has operator TBA but suspect its the reason however there is the possibility they have temporally removed ORK-LPA to see if they can find an operator.
As you will know the charter market has being in decline as many carriers have gone bust over the last number of years and its becoming difficult to source such carriers. Then there is the cost side of contracting such operators balancing it with what the public would be and scheduled carriers like FR at ORK.
The airline you suggest only operate from PMI mainly and positing an aircraft to LPA and back to operate ORK just wouldn't be viable.
DUB-LPA has operator TBA but suspect its the reason however there is the possibility they have temporally removed ORK-LPA to see if they can find an operator.
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Leeds, UK & Cork, Ireland
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I think 'shafted' is probably a bit harsh, but it does seem odd that destinations like LPA, which operated for many years are now being discontinued.
Things have changed a lot in the charter market and the tour-operator landscape as a whole. The days of Budget Travel (TUI), Falcon/JWT (First Choice) and Direct Holidays / Panorama (Thomas Cook) are gone. In those days EI flew to LHR, CDG and AMS, FR flew to STN, no holiday hotspots. The likes of Futura, First Choice Airways / Air 2000, eirJet (!), etc used to have at least one aircraft crewed and based out of ORK for the summer season, sadly those days are gone.
EI do operate a weekly service, on a scheduled basis from September to March, if nowhere else will do!
Looking forward to 2015, it looks like passenger numbers will continue to decline but hopefully settle. The improved road connections to DUB have radically changed the airport landscape, for the island as a whole. The return of CSA could be a major psychological boost to the airport and be foundations for attracting new airlines. After all, the return of CSA sees the number of airlines increased by 50%...to three!
Things have changed a lot in the charter market and the tour-operator landscape as a whole. The days of Budget Travel (TUI), Falcon/JWT (First Choice) and Direct Holidays / Panorama (Thomas Cook) are gone. In those days EI flew to LHR, CDG and AMS, FR flew to STN, no holiday hotspots. The likes of Futura, First Choice Airways / Air 2000, eirJet (!), etc used to have at least one aircraft crewed and based out of ORK for the summer season, sadly those days are gone.
EI do operate a weekly service, on a scheduled basis from September to March, if nowhere else will do!
Looking forward to 2015, it looks like passenger numbers will continue to decline but hopefully settle. The improved road connections to DUB have radically changed the airport landscape, for the island as a whole. The return of CSA could be a major psychological boost to the airport and be foundations for attracting new airlines. After all, the return of CSA sees the number of airlines increased by 50%...to three!
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Leeds, UK & Cork, Ireland
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With all the doom and gloom, I thought I'd have a look at some UK-ORK traffic figures from the CAA. October 2014 is the latest month available on-line.
Route Oct 2014 Oct 2013
BIRMINGHAM CORK 6218 6268
BRISTOL CORK 3529 3372
EAST MIDS CORK 3030 0
EDINBURGH CORK 3336 3604
GATWICK CORK 10664 10272
GLASGOW CORK 1543 2143
HEATHROW CORK 33306 34942
LIVERPOOL CORK 6895 5643
MANCHESTER CORK 7825 6641
NEWCASTLE CORK 1693 0
STANSTED CORK 23516 20786
Two new routes gained, both of which seem to have grown the market, EMA has not impacted BHX at all, which I might have expected. STN has seen some good growth, but LGW and LHR are static. Similarly LPL has had growth as has MAN. The effect of these FR routes is interesting, it seems to grow the market overall, what this does to yields on incumbent routes is a guess, but seats still seem to be filled.
Clearly ORK has a good market to the UK, 101,555 one-way segments travelled between ORK and UK airports, over a million passengers a year.
Route Oct 2014 Oct 2013
BIRMINGHAM CORK 6218 6268
BRISTOL CORK 3529 3372
EAST MIDS CORK 3030 0
EDINBURGH CORK 3336 3604
GATWICK CORK 10664 10272
GLASGOW CORK 1543 2143
HEATHROW CORK 33306 34942
LIVERPOOL CORK 6895 5643
MANCHESTER CORK 7825 6641
NEWCASTLE CORK 1693 0
STANSTED CORK 23516 20786
Two new routes gained, both of which seem to have grown the market, EMA has not impacted BHX at all, which I might have expected. STN has seen some good growth, but LGW and LHR are static. Similarly LPL has had growth as has MAN. The effect of these FR routes is interesting, it seems to grow the market overall, what this does to yields on incumbent routes is a guess, but seats still seem to be filled.
Clearly ORK has a good market to the UK, 101,555 one-way segments travelled between ORK and UK airports, over a million passengers a year.
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: ireland
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Jack any further update on EIR resuming Dublin flights in April?Will the closure of their Shannon base offer the possibility of new routes or expansion of existing ones at Cork?
