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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 1277.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Knock—at the end of the beginning KNOCK Knock Airport has been one of the Republic of Ireland's most controversial public works projects. Critics said that it was badly sited and would never pay. But, having won the political argument by becoming an operational airport in May 1986, Knock now seems set to win a broad- based economic argument. Mark Blacklock talked to retiring airport director Maurice Buckby, who was recently replaced by Michael McGrath. "One of the popularly held misconceptions about Knock airport is that it was built for the use of pilgrims to Knock shrine," says Buckby. "In fact, shrine traffic only accounts for a small proportion of our total business." Knock lies in the centre of the Connaught region of western Ireland, where half a million people (14-7 per cent of the country's population) live. The region suffered from poor communication links and high unemployment. Prime mover behind the project, local priest Monsignor James Horan saw that, in order to encourage industrial development and aid the local economy, the area's accessibility had to be improved. He took his plans to the Government in Dublin, which approved a 100 per cent construction grant. The grant was costed at IR£8'4 million in 1980 prices with allowance for inflation, but a change of government in 1983 led to the withdrawal of official support, and the grant was never fully inflation proofed. Final Government spending totalled IR£9-7 million, and Horan set out to raise a further IR£3 million by public subscription to com plete the airport. Sadly the Monsignor died two months after the airport opened, and it is now called Horan Inter national. The airport is vested in the Connaught Airport Devel opment Company (CADC), run by a board of local busi nessmen, which is responsible for financing the current operational deficit. "The airport was always seen as a stimulant to regional development, and was never Ryanair and Aer Lingus are Knock's main operators intended to generate a major operating surplus. Our main aim at the moment is break even," he explains. "It took Cork Airport over 20 years to break even; we should do it in three." CADC employs 23 local people who report to the director, and they are trained to cope with a variety of jobs throughout the working day. For example, the office staff intersperse general adminis tration work with a spell on the duty-free shop tills when flights are departing. The fire men see each flight safely up or down, and otherwise handle baggage. This enables the CADC to keep its landing and handling charges low. Buckby also believes in being self-sufficient as far as is possible, to keep control and maximise revenue feed. The CADC performs airline handling, refuelling, security checks, and runs the duty-free shop. The only concessions let are for the cafe/bar and car hire to Avis. The air traffic control tower staff are employed directly by the Irish Department of Tourism and Transport. Negotiations are under way with Shell Ireland to reduce the fuel price; the increasing volume of flying at Knock will also help. "We are on a shoestring," says Buckby. "Safety and security come first, and the luxuries come later," as the unclad walls of the arrivals hall testify. But passengers use Knock for its convenience, not for its aesthetic beauty. A large proportion of the UK's Irish population has its roots in the Connaught region, and current traffic is predomi nantly VFR (visiting friends and relatives), with 60 per cent originating in the UK and 40 per cent locally. Monthly passenger through put is running at 8,100 for July, 11,200 for August, and 8,000 for September, which compares with a mere 9,208 passengers for all the oper ational months of 1986. Total passengers for 1987 should reach 55,000, with an 85 per cent increase forecast for 1988. The boost has come from the introduction of Ryanair's low-cost scheduled service. "Our Knock scheduled services have been enor mously successful," says Ryanair's chief executive, Eugene O'Neill. The low-fare carrier started operations on December 16, 1986, with a modest schedule of three round trips a week from London's Luton Airport, using 44-seat BAe 748s. Now all UK services are operated by 104-seat BAe One-Eleven 500s with flights to Luton, Birmingham, and Manchester. A service to Glasgow is due to start next year. "Our Knock operation carried 60,000 passengers during 1987, and we expect to double this for 1988," says O'Neill. Knock was also the desti nation for Ryanair's first Irish domestic service, opened at the end of 1987. A 15-seat Bandeirante currently oper ates two return services each weekday from Dublin at an average load factor of 45 per cent. "Knock-Dublin is just covering its DOC," says O'Neill, "but we expect load factors to build up to the mid 70s." Ryanair recently won licences from the Irish Department of Tourism and Transport for routes between Knock and Brussels, Munich, Paris, and Stuttgart, but direct continental services are likely to be operated as seasonal charters. O'Neill believes that there is significant potential for the development of tourism by promoting the attractions of western Ireland, with its fish ing, sailing, and golf facilities. He also thinks that shrine traffic can be built up from its low base. There are 200,000 annual visitors from the UK to Knock shrine, but 95 per cent presently use surface transport. , Ryanair's competitor in the VFR market, Destination Knock (DK), has now ceased trading. Celtic Air, intended to be Knock's base operator and handling agent, never actually flew its Fokker F.27s as planned because its backer pulled out. Charters for Irish- originating passengers are flown by Aer Lingus and Club Air, but Knock augments revenue from passenger flights by promoting itself as a training airport. With Ireland's second-longest run way, at 8,200ft, uncluttered airspace, and clear approach and climb-out, it is already used by Air Lingus for Shorts 360 sorties, Club Air's 727-100, and Ryanair's One- Eleven 500s. "We are at the end of the beginning," says Maurice Buckby. His breakeven throughput of 100,000 passen gers a year is in sight for 1988, and he feels that the medium- term traffic potential is between 200,000 and 250,000 passengers a year. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 14 May 1988 11
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