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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Oct 1999

Vol. 509 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Regional Airports.

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to take this question this evening. I brought this matter to the attention of the House because I am concerned about the future development of the west and the role being played in that development by Knock International Airport. In the west we are living in the most peripheral part of Europe and our special circumstances have been recognised, particularly by this Government when it fought to obtain Objective One status for the region earlier this year. This status will guarantee a massive investment in infrastructure which I hope will lead to further economic and social benefits for our region. Knock airport is an essential element in that plan.

Regional airports throughout Europe have proven to be very successful in all developing economies. Knock International Airport has been in existence for 20 years and has been a great asset to the western region during that time. However, its potential as a major player in the economic and social development of the Connacht region has not been fully realised. With that in mind, it is with great concern that I have learnt of Aer Lingus's decision, under its revised winter schedule, to pull its only service out of Knock International Airport at the end of October. The presence of a flagship carrier such as our national State-owned airline, Aer Lingus, as a key player at Knock airport would give a great boost and vote of confidence to the western region. This, unfortunately, is not the case, the exact opposite is the situation at a time of great emphasis on regional development.

I ask visitors in the Public Gallery to leave quietly. The House is still in session.

We have lots of things going for us within the western region such as Objective One status which we recently retained, better local authority structures in place than ever before and a dedicated community attitude. All these factors must be galvanised into a real effort to adjust the imbalance between east and west so that true equality of treatment and opportunity exists throughout the State. Knock airport is a key element in that equation. It was never intended to be an exit gateway from the west. That phenomenon has gone on for over two centuries with the mass exodus of our greatest resource, our people. Aer Lingus benefited greatly over the years when many of our people had to leave and return home. They supported Aer Lingus on those occasions.

Due to significant industrial development over the past 20 years, we are fortunate to have a number of major international companies in Connacht – Allergan, Baxter, Coca Cola and Boston Scientific, to name but a few. Companies such as these offer an opportunity for business to be done via Knock airport. The tourism industry is organised in the west better than ever before. We have a product of high quality and a high standard. However, we need accessibility to make it viable. The full potential of Knock International Airport will be achieved when it is used as an industrial corridor, bringing people to and from Connacht for the purpose of conducting business and leisure. It is for this reason I am disappointed with the decision by Aer Lingus to discontinue its Knock-Birmingham service. This is despite the fact that it has achieved an average load factor of 73 per cent for the period January-September 1999. The current schedule sees the Birmingham-Knock leg arriving on Friday at 8.15 p.m. and departing on Sunday at 3.15 p.m. Did the airline ever consider putting a fuller service in place at Knock airport and did it consider putting additional routes in place to and from Knock? Other airlines operate very successfully from Knock International Airport and have been doing so for many years. Why can our national airline not do likewise?

I am not interested in a rejection formula from Aer Lingus based on numbers unless it is accompanied by evidence of a genuine effort on its part to include Knock airport in its corporate plan for an improved regional service. There are those who believe that Knock International Airport never enjoyed the full corporate back-up from Aer Lingus. I would be interested to learn what marketing effort was made by Aer Lingus to support the Knock service and what its attitude to Knock airport is in the context of regional transport.

Will the Minister outline what relationship exists between her Department and Knock airport and the future plans to develop the airport in line with Objective One status? I ask her to use her influence to persuade Aer Lingus to reconsider this very important decision and possibly examine other routes to and from Knock airport.

I thank Deputy Cooper-Flynn for raising this issue. She has done so continuously for the past seven or eight days, hoping to get it on the Adjournment. I wanted to be here to speak on the issue.

I recognise that regional airports throughout the country operate under very difficult circumstances. While the Deputy was speaking, my mind wandered back to the beginning of Knock airport. I remember the huge antipathy that existed in this House and throughout the country against Knock airport and the dogged determination of those who conceived the idea and brought it to fruition, which has kept it there and functioning very well. The small scale of the operation in regional airports means that it is always a struggle to make ends meet. Regional airports must work hard to attract air services and they must battle to retain them. Knock airport has been one of the more successful of the regional airports in that regard.

There are currently three airlines operating scheduled services into Knock, Ryanair, BA Express and Aer Lingus. During the summer there is a wide range of charter flights. Ryanair provides a daily service from Knock to Stansted, BA Express provides five services weekly to Manchester and Aer Lingus provides a weekend service to Birmingham. The intention of Aer Lingus to withdraw this last service is what has prompted Deputy Cooper-Flynn, representing the constituency in that area, to seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment. I am aware of the concerns expressed about Aer Lingus's proposal. I too am concerned when any airline offering services to or from an Irish airport withdraws these services, regardless of the country of origin of the airline.

The Deputy and I pursued and discussed this matter during the summer and she, in turn, spoke to Aer Lingus. The service was introduced in 1995 on a temporary basis and Aer Lingus operated a Fokker 50 aircraft with a capacity for 50 passengers. The load factors have been 50 per cent on the 50 seater aircraft. The airline is now upgrading its fleet to an all jet operation, therefore it will no longer have a suitable aircraft available to continue the Knock-Birmingham service.

As a general principle, issues concerning the operation of services by Aer Lingus on their network are matters for the airline. They have a commercial mandate from the Government, therefore I cannot order them to operate any particular route. However, I will convey to the chairman, Mr. Cahill, the content of the debate here tonight and the very grave concerns mooted by the Deputy.

Under EU regulations, all EU airlines are free to operate on any route or to withdraw from any route. I am sure the management of Knock airport will make every effort to secure a replacement service. The airport board has, over the years, demonstrated its capacity to trade commercially and profitably and has ploughed those profits back into the improvement of Knock airport. I am aware, as is the House, that the abolition of duty free at the end of last June has made a huge difference to the operation of those airports. It was the main source of revenue for Knock airport. Knock and Kerry are the two regional airports which have been worst affected as a result of the loss of duty free sales. It has moved them from a small profit-making situation to a loss-making situation.

Airports are now facing huge challenges. I am meeting all the airport boards, including the board of Knock airport, to work out a plan and regional airports will feature in the renewal of Government programme. A range of regional airport grant schemes have been in operation and I will be looking at those in the context of the national development plan and the forthcoming Estimates. I take the point raised by Deputy Cooper-Flynn and I will convey to the chairman of Aer Lingus her strong concerns together with the Official Report of the debate and ask him to examine it very carefully. I will also ask that it be remembered, as the Deputy said, that in the dark days Knock airport stood by Aer Lingus when it was necessary, something I hope Aer Lingus will take into account. I will certainly send Aer Lingus the Official Report and talk to the chairman.

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