Knock Airport - Near Fire Under Control

A fire at an industrial unit in a business park, close to Ireland West Airport in Knock, Co Mayo has been brought under control.
The building has been extensively damaged but there are no reports of any injuries. Fire service personnel were alerted to the blaze at the detached unit, just after 6.30pm.
All scheduled arrivals and departures to the nearby airport had been completed by the time the fire broke out.
Fire fighters have been dispatched from Swinford, Charlestown and Ballaghaderreen.
It is understood the factory where the blaze broke out is located on the Old Airport road. The premises is no longer occupied.

Airport Parking Ireland

Knock Airport - Pilgrim Progress

Its hard to fathom now that someone would build an airport whose primary aim would be to lure pilgrims to a religious shrine. In fact, the notion of an international airport at Knock was understandably dismissed by most in the disaster zone that was Ireland's economy in the early '80s, as a completely hare-brained idea.

But Monsignor James Horan persevered with his plan to build an airport on what was described as a "foggy, boggy hill" and in 1986 it officially opened.

Today, managing director Joe Gilmore says between 10pc and 15pc of inbound passenger traffic to the airport at Knock – or Ireland West Airport, Knock, to give it its fuller moniker – say they visit the local shrine when they make a trip here. That's up to 10,000 people a year. These days, more pilgrims leave the airport destined for shines in other sunnier climes than come to Knock though.

Knock Airport - 36m Funding

A POLITICAL war of words has blown up over a report that has identified the need for 36 million to be invested in Ireland West Airport Knock over the next 10 years.

The chairman of the Fianna Fáil party on Mayo County Council said it was abundantly clear to him that none of the money will come from the exchequer, despite government claims to the contrary.

Councillor Al McDonnell stated the blueprint produced by a study group chaired by Fine Gael Deputy John O’Mahony is ‘long on detail but short on financial commitment’.

The Moorehall-based representative stated: “I am amazed how blatantly the government has displayed its lack of support for Knock airport yet dressed it up as something completely different.



“Nobody is fooled by this blueprint, which is a massive disappointment as far as I’m concerned in the aftermath of the government’s €300 million bail-out of Shannon airport earlier this year.”

However, Deputy O’Mahony insisted Knock airport has been given a very good deal and the future will prove that to be the case.

He hit back: “There were a lot of people jumping up and down a number of months ago accusing the Fine Gael-led government of undermining the future of the airport.

“But I believe the study group has produced a document which will prove the key to the facility’s development over the coming decade. The €36 million will come from a number of sources, including the exchequer, county councils and business interests

“I am very happy with the plan and what was particularly beneficial was having so many stakeholders involved in the study process. That was a really big bonus and that will be shown to be the case as the implementation of the recommendations is stepped up.

“My concern from the outset was to ensure that the contribution made by regional airports to social and economic development in peripheral locations was fairly acknowledged at a national and European level. By using IWA Knock as a reference case, I believe this has been demonstrated.”

It is understood the proposed investment will involve a restructuring of the airport debt, understood to be in the region of €10 million, and continued operational support to 2019.

Connaught Telegraph

Airport Parking Ireland

Knock Airport - Future of IWAK

John O Mahony TD, who is the joint-chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications, this week handed over a report on the Ireland West Airport Knock to An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, and to Minister for the Environment, Leo Vardakar.

In January of this year O’Mahony was charged with chairing a study group that that would look into the future of Ireland West Airport Knock. After handing over the report Dep O’Mahony said: “The group, which met on a total of eight occasions, comprised representatives from a range of local and national interests including the airport board and management, Government departments, local business, State agencies and local authorities, and were assisted by Ernst & Young.” O’Mahony also said that he expected the details of the report to be made public in the coming weeks.

There was further good news this week for the popular regional airport, which has seen numbers flying in and out of the airport go up this year, when it was granted more that €600,000 under the OPEX scheme. In total the airport was granted €654,000 through the OPEX scheme which covers subventible losses made by regional airports. Those costs are incurred by providing the core airport services that can’t be funded from other sources or surpluses, and by non-core activities such as car parking charges or catering. Welcoming the news of the funding, Dep John O’Mahony said: “This is another good week for IWAK. The funding will copperfasten the airport’s standing as one of the most progressive in the country. I believe that this funding also proves just how committed the Government is to IWAK and how it is viewed as being pivotal in the development of transport infrastructure in this region.”

The news was also welcomed by his colleague Minister for State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, who said: “This funding has been provided by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and I have no doubt that it will be welcomed by Ireland West Airport Knock board. The past year has been a very successful year for Ireland West Airport Knock and I have no doubt the airport will continue to progress into the future”

Colm Gannon Mayo Advertiser

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Knock Airport 80k extra passangers

Ryanair has confirmed that it will open three new routes from Knock to Eindhoven, Glasgow Prestwick & Kaunas from April 2014. It has also pledged to increase frequencies on its London route.
The new measures will deliver an additional 80,000 passengers p.a. and support 80 new on-site jobs at Knock, according to the airline.
This growth is in direct response to the Government’s decision to scrap the €3 travel tax from April 2014.
Tickets for the new route go on sale on the Ryanair website tomorrow.

Knock Airport - Ryanair New Services

RYANAIR is launching new services from Ireland West Airport Knock next April after the travel tax is scrapped. The airline will open new routes to Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Kaunas in Lithuania, and to Glasgow Prestwick. Services to London Luton will be increased from 16 flights a week to 18.

The new services are the latest to be added by Ryanair after Finance Minister Michael Noonan said in this month’s Budget that he’s binning the travel tax from next year.

Last week, Ryanair unveiled new services from Shannon in a major boost for the airport. The carrier is also in talks with airports at Dublin, Cork and Kerry to increase services there.

After Minister Noonan announced that the travel tax would be abolished, Ryanair pledged to bring an extra 1m passengers to Irish airports.

The new services at Knock will increase Ryanair’s passenger traffic at the airport next year from 500,000 to 580,000. It will bring the airport’s total annual passenger traffic to an expected 750,000.

“The scrapping of the travel tax will help restore Ireland’s competitiveness and attractiveness to overseas visitors from the UK and continental Europe in particular,” said Ryanair chief operating officer Michael Cawley in Knock this morning.

Irish Independent