EI like to keep Cork flights to AMS and LHR on schedule. A mixed fleet at Cork makes this difficult if the flights have a high load factor. This was the main reason why the A321 was withdrawn from ORK LHR. The 4th aircraft spent most of the past winter on the apron at Cork as a back up aircraft.

Agree but its just a rumour for now.

Is the above a good reason for EI keeping all A320's or is saving a crew menber cost for every flight with an A319 more important. Were loads last winter good or would an A319 be more suited to some routes.

Was the A321 not taken away because they dropped 3 from the fleet or did that happen after. I expect that EI will keen to get the losses during the winter reduced. Not for a minute saying ORK is making major losses or anything. 2013 Q1 results are out on Thursday so they might give some indication on plans for winter if their losses have increased or not etc.

Would get BCN and possibly FAO through the winter and would allow for extra rotations to AGP, BRU, GVA, MUC

I know that it's possible in terms of aircraft range, but considering the practical side of things (aircraft utilisation, fixed costs relative to income, crew scheduling), how possible would using EIR for an evening rotation to Paris be? It's about 50% further than ORK-EDI, which is currently their longest route, although only marginally longer than ORK-LRH, which they used to do.

Aer Lingus are reducing flights to AMS for July from 14PW to 12PW and increasing flights to LIS for July from 2PW to 3PW and to AGP for July from 7PW to 8PW. Reading some of the comments of an ''oversupply'' of seats to sun spots, this is rubbish as charters have reduced to match demand.

840, if Aer Lingus Regional based an extra ATR in Cork, an evening service to Paris would be a great way to build the route and also allow a possible reintroduction of former routes to Dublin, Belfast, London Luton or Southampton.

I'm not saying that there's an oversupply of Sun seats. However there isn't enough choice available ex Cork. It's basically Spain/Portugal or Spain/Portugal as far as scheduled holiday destinations are concerned. There's also a narrow choice of City Break destinations and potential inbound tourists routes from the Continent.

Southampton, Leeds, Cardiff, Durham, Belfast, Exeter, East Midlands, Prague, Budapest, Madrid, Rome and Bratislavia all operated over the last decade. Notwithstanding the recession its appaling that all of them have been lost. These should be targeted for restoration once the economy improves. The charters to Burgas, Monastir, Agidir and Zakinthos were also viable for many years out of Cork. In fact the Tunisian ones go back to the early 1990's before the Celtic Tiger was even a cub.

Well said, Ryan2000, very well put and to the point.

I imagine that a good lot of the passengers for many of those extinct routes from Cork are being accomodated on the overnight busses to Dublin Airport? For all we know the next thing we may hear is that the overnight busses to Dublin may originate at Cork Airport. Would that not be something!?

How accommodating indeed the situation is for Dublin Airport, the Dublin Airport Authority, Aer Lingus, Ryanair etc, etc?

The question to be put though is whether it is also kind of accomodating for the management at Cork Airport? Allows for a lot of ducking & diving and another grand excuse to sit on the fence.

If the speculated "significant tax reliefs" for many taxpayers are announced in the October budget it could have a possitive affect on traffic at Cork, nothing major but if people can aford a hoilday they may just take it if they have more money to spend.

It'll take something imaginative to kick start the economy but I imagine that the last thing the Government will want to see is people taking a foreign holiday and spending more money abroad however good it might be for airlines and airports.

"significant tax relief" is an absolute pipedream. The best we can hope for is no further taxes - so a standstill on austerity rather than a relieving of it.

Problem is that the margins on these charter flights are so tight that they are being undercut by FR who are the masters of operating on tight budgets. EI operated to Rome with fares averaging €250-€450, and they pulled out. Short city breaks need to have a cheap flight to work. For the sort of prices to Rome you could get a 4 day package to Spain /Portugal with EI or FR holidays. If you go to travel agent you will find yourself more than likly being quoated an FR package.

taxes didn't increase this year and a - gov have around 2 billion spare to play around with, b - deficit was 1% lower in 2012 and expect to be 0.2 lower in 2013 than IMF prodicted so they have room to ease cuts and that is the only way for the economy to grow. Yes there was the LPT but that should of being interduced years ago.

While we're veering off aviation issues here, I suspect that if the government has wiggle room, it will either invest in infrastructure or protect welfare payments. Any tax cuts will be saved for 2015 to induce a feelgood factor in advance of the next election. Tax cuts produce a poll boost for about 6 months, but infrastructure sees returns over a longer period.

That said, any infrastructure will be incredibly targeted and the only priority in the Cork area (at the risk of TTT's blood pressure) will be the Cork-Limerick road, so we can put aside any thoughts of money being spent on taxiways.

An Tasice are doing their best to stop this road being upgraded to dual/motorway standard. They say there is no need for it. It's no wonder this country is in the state it is with organisations like this operating.

Taxiways and any other infrastructural improvements will be a matter for the DAA. Next major project will be the resurfacing of 17/35 which hasn't been done for 15 years. The issue of parking stands may also need to be addressed if the Economy picks up. Space was very tight in the in the 2002-2008 era and it wouldn't take that much of an upswing to get back to a full ramp. This Summer at weekends there will be 10 aircraft overnighting.

10 overnighting, what will they consist of, 4EI, 2FR, 2-3EIR, how am I doing so far?

3 FR from June to August

Arkefly are basing an aircraft at weekends from beginning of May, and that makes ten.

Correct 4 EI. 3 FR 2 2EIR and 1 Arkfly.