asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will give particulars of the total landing revenue at Cork Airport for the last available financial year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cork Airport.
81.
Total landing revenue at Cork Airport for the financial year ended 31st March, 1969 was £51,029.
82.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power the financial or other benefits accruing to Cork Airport by reason of the current training flights being held in the Cork area.
83.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power what income Cork Airport derived from training flights during the last six months or for the most recent six months period for which figures are available.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 83 together.
Cork Airport has not been used to any significant extent for training flight programmes.
The receipts in respect of training flights amounted to £4,310 in the 12 months ended December 1969; in the six months ended December, 1969 the receipts were £2,200.
What was the last figure?
It was £4,310 in the 12 months ended December 1969 and in the six months ended December 1969, £2,200. For the information of the Deputy as he is concerned with the matter in Cork, I should mention that up to now Shannon has done very well on these training programmes. We are now looking into the whole situation in Cork and Aer Rianta have been examining the general position at the airport and they feel there are good prospects for projects of this kind in 1971.
The Minister will appreciate that even though Shannon have the bulk of the flights they are using Cork as a place to fly to on training flights from Shannon and back and there is considerable disturbance in the western part of the city because of the noise these training flights are making. As Deputy Tunney suggested in the case of Dublin Airport would it be possible in the case of Cork to re-align the runways or the approach to the airport so that the planes would not fly over built-up areas?
That is another question. Do you want training flights or do you not?
We want the training flights without the noise.
84.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if a number of airlines including British Midland, Channel, Autair and BKS were refused rights for scheduled operations from Cork Airport; and, if so, the reasons for such refusals.
The answer is "No" as far as I am concerned.
The Deputy will appreciate that British airlines who wish to operate scheduled services to Ireland must first be designated for the purpose by the British authorities.