Minister Varadkar's department's comment on Waterford Airport
Wednesday, 25th May 2011
Last week's speculation that Waterford Airport was part of a number of regional airports in danger of closure has been clarified by the Department of Transport. It has since been confirmed that Waterford Airport is not in danger by Minister Varadkar's Department.
The Irish Times reported on Saturday, May 21 "In the southeast, Waterford was reported to be in danger, but Varadkar's department says that it is not.”
A value-for-money review of regional airports completed for the Department of Transport last year recommended continued support of Waterford Airport which does not have internal flights and has never received PSO (Public Service Obligation) subsidies for services to/from Dublin.
Waterford Airport continues to manage its finances tightly and to work with Aer Arann on maximising passenger numbers on scheduled services to and from the UK and France. The airport is also the location for the Irish Coast Guard Search & Rescue base covering much of the southern and eastern regions of the country.
Last year a major economic assessment carried out by UK-based Constants Colin Buchanan and Partners found that Waterford Airport supports 560 jobs in the South East Region; this figure does not account for the impact that direct air access has on business investment decisions in the South East.
WATERFORD-TODAY.IE Partners
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