Cork Airport - Chief Executive wanted!

[Tom the Tenor]

Last Friday's Irish Examiner newspaper had an ad for a Chief Executive for Cork Airport. This is a new post that has come about with the establishment of the new Cork Airport Authority.

Apart from the obvious issues like more ramp space being needed, top class navaids, business NOT to be turned away(!), runway extention, paying off of less productive workers with decent packages one of the more challenging tasks for any new chief executive at Cork is how to counter the types of deal the new Shannon board have made with Ryanair where FR pay 50 cent in charges and get back a sum of 2 Euro from snn in marketing support with the aiport taking a hit of 1.50 euro!

How do you counter that kind of crazy deal?

So, what do you think? Any one out there up for a challenge?

[ClickRich]

To what extent would Cork need to counter the Shannon deal? They surely don't have to follow the same path. Can Cork not play to its own strengths and keep to a more 'sensible' business plan? With the little information you gave, it would seem that Shannon have taken an aggressive business development route.

I would have thought that much depends on the financial structure they are leaving Aer Rianta with. Have Shannon built a war chest or backing to pay for their plan?

Educate me!

[neidin]

ORK and SNN is not that far now with the new roads from SNN and it is tough for all. Aer Rianta - DAA have lots of good internal candidates and the pay rates now will be much higher than Joe got. They will have no problem getting a real good person to go to CORK. Leave SNN to Ryanair and Cork will have to make real money going forward. There is no way you can compete with paying airlines money.

[Tom the Tenor]

Plenty of good internal people from the former Aer Rianta - DAA?

As long as any snn mindset has been first surgically removed!

A lot of teeth may have been cut down there? Hmm.

[eoinok]

In hindsight after having a few weeks to let the dust settle, the SNN deal with FR is crazy!!

FR getting €1.50 for every PAX they land there. Probably getting some mad deal for parking the planes overnight as well??

I think this is a 5 year deal then? What happens after years? Same thing that is happening at STN, with a lot of planes heading over to LTN??
For SNN to think they may make this back in "shopping" deals etc is mad. Anyone who has flown out of any of the 3 main airports in this country know that it is nearly cheaper to get a 4 course meal down the road form the airport than get a sandwich, cup of tea, and bag of crisps in the airport.

What could possibly happen, though I dont know what other people think (this is a rumours site after all!!), is that if Easyjet get support from the people of ORK for their LGW route, what would be the chances of EZY going head to head with FR at SNN by setting up their own base at ORK?? Wishful thinking on my behalf though I suppose.......

All being said, interesting challenges ahead for Cork airports new CEO........

[ClickRich]

I wonder what effect a new CEO at ORK would have on the rest of the board roles.

Have SNN found a new Finance Director yet? I know they were looking for one during the summer.