Cork Investment
Cork needs more investment having been starved of it for its first 40 years of existence. Like Dublin it was the victim of a make it up as we go along aviation policy and boards that were stacked with people whose aviation expertise was limited to say the leas
The piecemeal t'will do attitude has left us in the mess we're now in and from what I hear the financial situation in Shannon isn't all that rosy either and it may worsen if Obama wins and carries out his promise to pull out of Iraq. It now appears that Cork will have to submit yet another business plan to the DAA based on the Cassells report. That should make interesting reading. The bearded men in the Unions will also have to be consulted. So a number of hurdles have to be crossed before Cork Airport Ltd comes into being. It was nice to see former Marketing Director John Smyth around the airport yesterday. You're always welcome in Cork John. |
Cork Airport gets stradled with the terminal debt whilst the DAA bags the proceeds from the sale of the Great Southern hotel group and its stakes in airports such as Birmingham and Dusseldorf. Cork city is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the only possible counterweight to Dublin. But unfortunately, the government seems set against regional development in the south by hindering the growth of one of the state's most important national infrastructure in Cork. It's runways are short and need to be extended but there will be no money now to do that. Large debt repayments will mean little money for investment, airport charges will need to increase and airlines will pull routes.
I can remember a Fokker 50 aquaplaning off the runway in Cork in a howling cross wind in the 90's. The government is investing in the lengthening the runway in Derry and has invested money in all of the regional airports around Ireland. It's just a shame it doesn't have the same commitment to develop Cork airport. |
The reality that is now sinking in is that Cork has a huge financial challenge ahead. All of the options will inevitably be looked at. The most painless one is to start an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at making Cork the first choice for people in South Leinster and much of Munster. The 2nd more painful solution is to look at costs and compare them to other airports. I'm afraid the days of a job in a state airport being a well paid cushy number are at an end. I'm not referring here to the hard working staff in ASU departments and other frontline positions. It now appears that the Minister will not after all be in a position to underwrite the financial position of the board according to local media reports. This will inevitably mean that privatisation will loom if the above mentioned measures don't work. |
Marketing Campaign yes would be a good idea but this should of been constantly done over the last 3 years. Maybe we could of replaced the 7 airlines who ended services in Cork.. But the confidence in the Chairman, CX and Marketing manager is not there. Across the company there is serious concern at their ability or should i say lack of ability to run the airport full stop. Cork needs to make their mind up - one minute you state that the place was over specified and too expensive for the region - then you demand cargo villages and airbridges and the DAA are penny pinching. I never said postponing the building of the cargo village was a bad idea. The money wasn't there so it had to go on the back burner. However what I was saying is that if the landbank is sold it will never be able to be built. |
If I were the CAA board I'd sack the entire management team and hire people who actually know how to run an airport successfully. The current lot are a complete joke. The rest Chairman Joe Gantly, Chief Executive Pat Keohane, Don Cullinane, Pat Dalton and Humphrey Murphy should all resign or be removed form the board. They have shown that the do not have the best interest in mind for Cork Airport by accepting a report that will Financially cripple Cork Airport and inhibit any future developement of Cork Airport. All of the above people where put in place by the government to insure that the government get their own way at what every cost. These people doen't have any the slightest knowledge in the aviation business.. A new market manager should be brought in and given the resources and freedom to promote new business etc. Up to 3 years ago Cork Airport had a productive management team including Joe O' Connor and John Smith(an aviation marketing mastermind). Now the marketing manager seems to do nothing productive has not brought in 1 decent airline on a year round basis.. The Chief Executive has done nothing bar cause trouble.. Dictating to Airlines that they can only land between certain hours instead of trying to increase the amount of developement on routes and new airlines. He has shackled the Marketing Department with rules that don't allow the airport to be made attractive to new airlines or exsisting ones for route expansion. He has dictated to staff on operational issues but yet never spends time in the relavant departments to see what is happening or to see the implications of his actions. |
The list of what Cork Demands for nothing grows every hour.
The Government now isnt committing to Developing Cork Airport?? - well whats that brand spanking new terminal i see every eight weeks but government investment. The airport is being given to the board at a snip at €130m, considering houses are priced in excess of €1m in Cork these days. Derry is getting a runway extension, Cork is getting new ATC. The list goes on. If you dont believe in yourselves, nobody else will. Why does everyone in cork have such a complex that everyone else in ireland is getting more than they are... my other half is convinced that the GAA central board is out to get them... The big elephant in the room that nobody is talking about is that the Unions want to be working in a safe secure Dublin Airport job. |
The Government now isnt committing to Developing Cork Airport?? - well whats that brand spanking new terminal i see every eight weeks but government investment. The airport is being given to the board at a snip at €130m, considering houses are priced in excess of €1m in Cork these days. Derry is getting a runway extension, Cork is getting new ATC. The list goes on. |
Who is on the board of CAA and does anyone know what their backgrounds are?
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Wizzair
Wizzair Cork-Katowice service to increase to 5 weekly from mid June to mid September, with flights every day bar Tuesdays and Thursdays. Obviously they're benefiting from the withdrawal of Cork-Krakow by Centralwings. Also had a look at the fares. Very hard to find any flights less than €100 each way over the peak summer months so yield must be okay.
Cork-Gdansk meanwhile will operate 3 weekly over the summer. |
Cork-Gdansk meanwhile will operate 3 weekly over the summer. |
WIZZ
That's some bit of good news at the end of a difficult week although WIZZ are on reduced charges.
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Quote: Cork-Gdansk meanwhile will operate 3 weekly over the summer. From mid-June to mid-September there will be a 4th weekly Gdansk flight operated on Wednesday evenings. And at a rather reasonable hour at that! |
Wizzair to WAW
They're seriously looking at ORK-WAW,
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CAA Stats
The provisional stats for March for Cork-UK routes are out. They show another good month for Cork. Some highlights include:
-While Gatwick and Stansted are fairly stagnant, Heathrow is up 6,160 to 42,655 passengers, a 13% increase on last year. This increase means we have had double digit growth on the route every month so far this year. -Manchester is up a massive 92% to 12,838. -Birmingham is up 28% to 13,056. -Prestwick is doing very well at 7,237, almost passing out Cork-Liverpool. -Edinburgh is the only route to post a substantial decrease, down 38%. This is probably due to the cut in frequency (from 10 to 7 weekly) due to one of the Cork based aircraft going on charter to Finland, as well as the increased competition from Ryanair on Prestwick. |
If they sell off landbanks
Sell off landbanks as what GRAZING ?
That land is not zoned for development and until it is ,no one will be able to sell off anything .My feeling is that Cork County Councillors will not rezone the land as it would be premature pending clarification, in the longer term, of the future development needs of the airport. Speak to your local public reps they will have a local area plan for the airport before them shortly. :ugh: |
Aer Lingus add extra flt to lhr
Looks like Aer Lingus have now gone to 5 a321's to lhr daily,they have added an additional lhr flt on Sundays ( ei718 ) will operate in at 1300 and out again at 1340, it will be operated by a Dub aircraft aswell as a Dub crew. From my understanding it will using a previous Dub/Lhr slot and will start on Sunday 18 May.
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Think they could put that flight on into Shannon? Of course not. Theres "No market for Shannon-Heathrow"................just the place where all the extra ORK-LHR pax are coming from :ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:
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Think they could put that flight on into Shannon? Of course not. Theres "No market for Shannon-Heathrow"................just the place where all the extra ORK-LHR pax are coming from I was having a look at the figures the DAA are quoting for their own corporate debt. By the time T2 is finished it will stand at 1.2 billion. On a per passenger basis this is more than ORK by quite some margin. I relaise DUB has a lot more retail space and more passengers to spread the management costs over,etc but I think ORK should be OK in the long term. In the medium term there is relatively little that needs to be done to the terminal itself. Walkways, etc are now installed which will be useful. The CAA figures to the UK are also encouraging, I think there is a lot of growth to be had in Cork yet, but I do think it will be harder to get the airlines in. Does anyone have any word on BTS? I wonder how its doing. Brian. |
5 A321s is good in a way, but when 30 to 40 passengers every flight follow you over to T4 for a trans-atlantic flight it kinda tells you something.......:}
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Although airport management probably like to see a passenger who pays full fees rather than one who gets a discount through the route support scheme...
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