Galway Airport workers occupy airport after BOI take 1 million from Bank account

[tempest]

Islandeady this has been coming a long time and has nothing to do with BOI who saw the end coming and however ruthless are a business protecting their interests. Government gave the airport many opportunities and continued OPEX subvention even when commercial operator pulled out, going as far as funding the staff redundancy, why was it not paid out immediately? The airport management and owners are to blame:

- Never made a profit even at the peak of operations
- 50% of it's passengers at it's peak were on one Dublin PSO subsidised route
- PSO subsadies relied on to cross support other Aer Arannn operations at the airport, and paid for ATC and other services
- Required largest of all regional airport subsidies to cover losses peaking around €3 million annually
- Cost base growing as numbers fell/spending and pay grew
- Airport warned subsidies unsustainable as far back as 2006, report recommended ending subsadies
- Airport made no attempt to restructuring after cut PSO and OPEX subsidies to regionals cut back
- Numbers collapsed below 90,000 annually
- Aer Arann pulled all routes
- Aer Arran pull maintenance hangar business
- No other airlines interested
- No other commercial business other than private flying club
- M6, M18, express bus and rail services make Dublin airport easily accessible with huge network and flight frequency
- Shannon and Knock within 1 hour drive with growing route networks to UK, Europe and USA and better infrastructure

[Odyessus]

this is a perfect example of why we should just get rid of all redundancy payments- there is absolutely no need for any of them and im yet to hear any argument to suggest they are necessary.

Galway airport has closed because stupid politicians actually listened to a few locals who didnt want a services centre to service planes at the airport - hence the airport was not viable as a commercial entity. so if anyone out west wants anyone to blame for this there are a number of houses in the locality and i suggest you find out through the council who they are and thank them personally. The tax payer cannot keep an airpot open just to keep people happy when it is completely non viable. blame the government etc all you want but this airport has 100% closed because of a few locals who didnt want people working in a sound proof hanger at nite as there may be noise or lights (in a sound proof hanger thats impossible but thats the reason given). this is the main problem in irelan a few people can cause so much damage- i mean just look to the corrib gas field- a few dozen people have cost the tax payer almost 50 million in policing costs- its a disgrace. as recently on matt cooper the amercian lad he has on said that he couldnt believe that in ireland we give so much attention to protestors as he said himself in the states a road would be build across the country and the public consultation would last an hour and then its case closed. i just wish we lived in such a place. another perfect example is the mining in leitrim- 100% needed yet a few crusties will ruin it on everyone

...just look to the corrib gas field- a few dozen people have cost the tax payer almost 50 million in policing costs...

I don't want to take this thread off topic, but the €50 million is not even the half of it. The delay to the Corrib field getting the gas ashore has cost us hundreds of millions of euros every year in lost tax revenue for the past five or more years, and cost Shell €3 billion, money they are allowed to write off against their profits before they pay tax. In other words, these protestors have cost the taxpayer over €3 billion by their antics.

[Islandeady]

If they don't wanna trust us, I suggest we withdraw all Dublin originate tax funds from all counties outside the greater Dublin area for one year. Divide the tax and spend pool into two seperate budgets, and then see how much they remember feeling oppressed by the Dubs when their hospitals and schools close for lack of money, no Bus Eireanns turn up, Irish Rail closes its loss making subsidied routes, pot holes start clocking up, theres no Coast Guard choppers to pluck their fishermen out of the watter and fam subsidies go bye bye.

I expect Dublin would start looking a whole lot better.

Good, take your debt with you while your at it.

[gijoe]

Jebus. Redundancy pay here is very high compared to the UK. That might persuade some business to locate North of the border.

They seem to have gotten rid of the limit here as well.

Calculating your redundancy pay : Directgov - Employment

[sparkey321]

Thanks to the corrupt influence of Dublin and the D4 elite, Gaway airport is about to close. The disgraceful actions of BOI are shocking. This airport in 2007 had a passenger numbers of over 300,000 and 15 routes. Dublin wont be happy until we west of Ireland people are living in mud huts. Knock is next on their list!

The airport was loosing money hand over fist. It owed the banks money and they took it..

But its Dublin 4's fault ?????

Kind of at a loss here !!

By the way I grew up in West Clare and lived in Rural Limerick untill I emigrated.........

I did however live in Dublin for a year once, not in Dublin 4 but it was Dublin...

[bob3367]

Good, take your debt with you while your at it.

What a silly response, not surprised coming from Galway....

[TropicalCandy]

Good, take your debt with you while your at it.

You mean the one we ran up bailing out banks which crashed because of a property speculation game country folk were just as intimately involved in as Dubs?
A game encouraged by finance ministers who were not from Dublin let alone Dublin 4?

[Watcher2]

Thanks to the corrupt influence of Dublin and the D4 elite, Gaway airport is about to close. The disgraceful actions of BOI are shocking. This airport in 2007 had a passenger numbers of over 300,000 and 15 routes. Dublin wont be happy until we west of Ireland people are living in mud huts. Knock is next on their list!




Galway airport workers begin sit-in to ensure redundancy payments · TheJournal.ie

And why did the airport not pay over the redundancy before BOI got their filthy paws on it? Thats a question that needs to be answered. Although its the West of Ireland, so like Father Ted, the money perhaps was "resting in the account." The poor tired money.

[Upper Chamber]

Interesting that the only flying at Galway is the flying clubs and private flyers. It has a most extraordinarily bad attitude to general aviation. It attempted to charge 'over flight fees' to light aircraft a la major air traffic centers to airliners even though it had no radar and only a VHF radio. This was unheard of in Ireland or anywhere else I know and generally laughed at.
It also had strange on/off opening hours so if you landed at a certain time during the mid morning or afternoon you might find that the airport was officially closed and that an 'out of hours' fee was due on top of normal fees.
Add to that a generally snooty, 'who do you think you are using our airport?' attitude and it's a wonder they ever get any light traffic.
In complete contrast to Sligo and Waterford airports who have a very positive attitude and reasonable charges and get many visiting flights as a result.

[bob3367]

You mean the one we ran up bailing out banks which crashed because of a property speculation game country folk were just as intimately involved in as Dubs?
A game encouraged by finance ministers who were not from Dublin let alone Dublin 4?

Most of the developers are west of Irelands finest, Considine, Grehan, Mc Namara, Sweeney, supplied the Galway Tent, elected Fahy, O Cuiv, Grealish....