Wizz
 

Wizz has reversed the decision to terminate Cork-Gdansk from late September. It will operate twice weekly for the Winter.

Does that mean that we're not terrorists anymore ? :)

I must say I'm slightly miffed at the notion of not getting into LHR until 10am. That is really going to preclude us from the morning connections.

Maybe it'll make the EI112 more attractive from SNN and onward with Jetblue if neccessary.

I'm thinking more of flights to Germany, Scandanavia etc.

Back to today's question !!!

Does anyone know where the 40 acres for sale, are located at the Airport ? Bernard Allen has stated that the sale of the land could prevent any future expansion at the Airport.

Scandinavia and Germany are as well, if not better connected to Amsterdam than Heathrow. KLM flies to five destinations in Norway alone. The later Heathrow departure might restrict choice of flights, but it won't make a massive difference to the range of destinations.

Presumably its where the Cargo village was supposed to be built, on the other side of runway 07/25 from the terminal.

The 40 acres is much bigger than its name would suggest. It's situated at the South East end of the airfield. My understanding is that the land that might be sold off lies to the west of the field and could impact on 25/07 operations.

Only 2% of commercial flights use this runway. However it is capable of being extended to facilitate long haul operations which is why Cork County Council has restricted development to the west of the field at the request of Aer Rianta.

There is concern that the CAA/DAA might take a more short term view and sell the land to get off the hook on the debt issue.

I feared you were going to say that :(

I know the topic of extending the N/S runway and installing CAT3 etc has been beaten to death, but are you saying that the E/W runway (in line with prevailing winds!) has that potential? ie no falling away land etc etc..
JBS

re switch of timetables...ork getting snn's
 

do i understand right that ORK gets SNN's timetable

does that mean will have a 930pm ORK-LHR flight on a Sunday during "new time" then ?

what a great time slot....

Land certainly doesn't fall away on approach to 25 although the runway is very near landside. In any event CAT3 isn't even on the radar at Cork as managment keep pointing to the negligible number of diversions that could have been averted by having CAT3.

Not to mention how the diverted pax from Cork to, regularly, snn contribute to their overall passenger figures at the end of every year. A nice little boost that to the numbers from one DAA airport to another. Handy isn't it, not having CATIII at Cork! There are plenty times in any given period when the Cork RVRs hover around 250 metres with line traffic in the hold.

Just 2% of commecial traffic using runway 25/07 at Cork?

If runway 25/07 was 8000 feet long it would hosting 98% of Cork commerical traffic?

That would be too easy, of course.

What are the current runway lengths, and what would be an ideal extension for both, Tom ?

6998ft 17/35
4298ft 07/25

Extending 07/25 may draw some loud objections from new developments east of the airport who have only had to listen to props and light jets before rather than widebodies, and there is also one if not two roads to be dealt with and those back roads are getting busier all the time.

I don't believe the roads would be that much of an issue. I suppose where there's a will, there's a way..... Would that extension (to 8000) be costly ?

They needn't worry, Cork's operating costs will prevent any substantial capital investment in the airport for decades unless a radical change of direction occurs.

To be fair, any of the major infrastructural changes proposed by many of the contributors whilst have merit will take many years and probably decades to complete. The only realistic options are to upgrade the current ILS installations and in parallel start the necessary procedures for runway extensions and runway realignments not to mind the airport relocation as proposed by some. The argument on the location of Cork airport has been going on as long as there has been an airport in Cork.

Suggest CAA maximise the capacity and safety of the existing runways, generate the volumes (as a consequence the income) to justify major infrastructural development.

For example, is the lack of a direct trans-atlantic link from Cork to New York due to the lack of a business case for Continental (choosen as an example) to operate an ORK EWR route with a B757 which could operate within the existing infrastructure with two (and more) airports to divert to on the rare occasions when required or is it due to the lack of a CAT3 capability. Conditions exist in an given airport that regardless of CAT status require diversions. I recently had to be divert from ORD (as a passenger) but it is a reality of operating in a safe environment. Build the conditions to generate business and the income and the case to develop infrastructure will come.

How many / year
 

Ryan2000 - "In any event CAT3 isn't even on the radar at Cork as managment keep pointing to the negligible number of diversions that could have been averted by having CAT3."

Please - How many diversions a year?

It depends, for instance this year EI and FR have diverted only on a handful of occasions.

Once the CAT2 is available these airlines almost always get in as do Malev, Wizz, Central Wings and the Charter airlines

Most diversions occur when airlines are neither CAT2 capable or in one case refuse to carry out CAT 2 approaches at Cork.

Cork rarely goes below 300metres for very long as it's low cloud rather than thick fog that gives it trouble and the IAA mainatain that installing CAT 3 would not be justified.

I doubt very much if its an issue in relation to transatlantic.

The obstacled here is the proximity of Shannon and the legacy of the infamous stopover added to the fact that Cork people do not aren't as vocal in support of their airport as their mid-western counterparts