Grant helps to secure viability of airport for the next year

Date Published: 20-Dec-2010

By Denise McNamara

The management of Galway Airport breathed a sigh of relief at the weekend after news of a €1.2m operational grant was announced.

The funding, which was part of the Core Airport Management Operation Expenditure Subvention (OPEX), is to cover the day to day costs of running regional airports and will go towards the airport’s 2010 budget.

Managing Director Joe Walsh said the funding was a very welcome step and helped secure its future as a crucial regional airport.

“It’s very welcome news and highly positive for the airport. We had believed the Government would support our airport and we were working very hard on that. It’s highly appreciated given we’re at the end of the financial year”, he told the Sentinel.

Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív said the funding would ensure the viability of Galway Airport.

“2010 was a particularly difficult trading year for all regional airports and I am happy that this money will ensure that the necessary finances needed by the airport to run on a successful basis in 2011 have now been provided,” he said.

The airport will now be forced to await the outcome of €5.5m cuts per annum announced in the Budget to the regional airports services programme.

This is likely to hit the Public Service Obligation subventions which are paid to airlines to operate certain regional routes. Any cuts in this area would severely impact on Galway Airport, which is dependent on Aer Arann, which operates a number of these routes.

Read more in this week’s Connacht Sentinel