‘Save our airport’ fight gets underway

Date Published: 20-Jan-2011

By Dara Bradley

The amount of taxes paid by Galway Airport into the state’s coffers “more than exceeds” the level of state subsidies it receives each year, according to its managing director, who took the battle to save the Carnmore airport to the Dáil this week.

Labour Party Transport spokesperson, Joe Costello, gave “total recognition and support” of the role played by Galway Airport to the region’s economy and tourism, according to MD Joe Walsh after a meeting in the Houses of the Oireachtas with Galway West TD Michael D Higgins and Labour’s general election candidate, City Councillor Derek Nolan on Wednesday.

The meeting was organised following last week’s shock announcement the withdrawal of PSO (Public Service Obligation) funding on the Galway to Dublin Aer Arann service from July of this year. The PSO funding was worth €960,000 a year to Galway Airport.

In addition, a Department of Transport ‘Value for Money Report on Regional Airports’ effectively suggested the closure of Galway Airport on economic grounds when it recommended the payment of an annual operation subvention of €1.3 million, to the airport, should cease.

Mr Walsh told the Galway City Tribune that the airport will now be looking for the annual operation subvention to be increased to in the region of €2.3 million, which would allow it to continue to serve the business and tourism industry in the Galway region.

Mr Walsh yesterday repeated his claim that the ‘value for money’ report is out of date and that its authors “misconstrued or ignored” pertinent information in relation to Galway Airport.

The Board of Galway Chamber and the Board of Galway Airport held special meetings on Tuesday, where a “very clear action plan” to save the facility was agreed.

Representatives of Galway Chamber met with nine Galway Oireachtas members on Monday, where cross-party support for the continuation of state subsidies needed for the survival of the airport was pledged.

There was a general consensus among all politicians present, according to Mr Michael Coyle, that the airport is a vital piece of infrastructure in terms of the economic development the Galway region.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.