Airport tax would 'devastate' Knock

[Schuhart]

THE PROPOSED airport travel tax announced in the Budget "will have a devastating impact" on passenger numbers and future route development for the west and northwest, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has been told.<snip>

As it stands, the tax "will give a further unfair advantage to Dublin airport over every other airport in the State and effectively provides an €8 per passenger incentive for passengers to fly from Dublin to some key UK destinations rather than from airports in the west of Ireland," he said.

Under the proposals, passengers flying more than 300km from an airport must pay a €10 tax, while those flying less than that distance must pay €2. It means that those flying to Manchester and Liverpool from Dublin, for example, will pay €2 tax, while those travelling from Sligo, Knock, Shannon, Kerry and Cork to the same British destinations will pay a €10 tax.

Interesting to see this still bubbling away. I take it the reason the tax was formed the way it was (with a 300km limit) is to enable the PSO flights from places like Donegal to land in Dublin and avoid double whack. I take it EU rules might stop any measure that only exempted domestic flights. I mean, I take it that its appreciated that there's little enough impact in Dublin having a lower tax to destinations in the UK that might be served from places like Knock and Shannon, as you'd hardly drive past Shannon just to save €8. But, clearly, Knock Airport will use the 'Dublin' cloak for (presumably) some other agenda on their mind.

I take it Knock don't see much of a point to Sligo Airport, which would be one of the ones that the lower €2 is presumably aiming to protect. The rivalry between the Western airport was palpable at a recent meeting of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, and the desire of Knock to see Sligo hoovered out of the way seemed to lurk behind this exchange between Joe Corcoran, Manager of Sligo Airport, and Liam Scollan from Knock.

Chairman: How far is the airport from Ireland West Airport?

Mr. Joe Corcoran: Approximately an hour. It is pretty equidistant between Sligo, Ireland West and Galway. It is about the same distance.

Mr. Liam Scollan: Mr. Corcoran is a rally driver so I would say he could do it in half the time if he wanted.

Mr. Joe Corcoran: We can fly Mr. Scollan.

The Committee's discussions pretty clearly occured in a context where it is expected that some of the West's airports will close. I expect Knock are using the comparison to Dublin as a way of avoiding the need to vocalise the actual problem. Its a pity, because we really need to get to a space where we can have at least state what our real problems are.

[Truth.ie]

Only a moving statue will save them devastation.

[yehbut_nobut]

My favourite knock airport joke: Back when it was opened, Monignor Horan wanted a "big name" to do the honours, so he phones the Holy Father in Rome.

"Very Sorry, I don't have time", says Il Papa, "but listen, I can give you the direct dial number to Our Lady herself, she might be able to help you"

So the monsignor calls her up, she answers "Our Lady speaking, how can I help", and he puts the proposal, asking her to cut the ribbon on the new aiport.

"I'd be only delighted," says our Lady, "Knock, did you say? Do y'know I've never been there before? It sounds lovely."

[rightsofman]

When Mr Scollan described Mr Corcoran as "a rally driver", I dont think it was meant as you took it. He did/does actually drive in car-rallies.

Corcoran owned the first Porsche I ever saw, and to my knowledge still competes in local rallies. His friends and associates would know of his reputation as a car-lover.

It doesn't add anything to the topic, but I dont think Scollan was being abrasive, if thats what you were suggesting, although I may have got the wrong end of the stick.

[Keith-M]

The tax has now been equalised across all national airports.

[Schuhart]

It doesn't add anything to the topic, but I dont think Scollan was being abrasive, if thats what you were suggesting, although I may have got the wrong end of the stick.

I thought the abrasion was more in the response Mr. Joe Corcoran: We can fly Mr. Scollan, which I took to be a very clear statement by Sligo Airport management that they were unwilling to fold operations to allow Knock to gain scale, which was the context of the Committee's discussions. There was also negative comment at the Committee of Knock trying to compete with Shannon for transatlantic business.

Overall, on the positive side, at least the Committee was trying to raise the curtain for a discussion about what to do with the overprovision of airports in the West. Few have been willing to actually say 'we built it, and they didn't come'.

The tax has now been equalised across all national airports.

Indeed, which seems to be what Knock management wanted. Presumably they see it as something that will force rationalisation, and maybe that's what's needed.

[Ed Dantes]

Knock already has a local tax on flights. Last time that I flew out of there, I was forced to pay €10 as a"development charge" or somesuch.

Sligo airport has a problem: it wants to extend its runway to cater for larger planes but this means extending across Strandhill beach which is a conservation area and the proposal has met with much local opposition. If Sligo folded, its traffic would, presumably, transfer to Knock.
Oh, and some developer has suggested transferring Sligo Airport to North Leitrim. Even FF think that is for the birds!