Council calls on State to back Kerry Airport

THE Mayor of Kerry and the Chief Executive of Kerry County Council have called on the Government to continue its support for Kerry Airport.

Mayor Niall Kelleher and Moira Murrell issued a joint statement last week in the wake of calls from the Dublin Airport Authority and Shannon Group – which operate Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports – for the Government to scale back funding for regional airports as, they claim, it isn’t value for money.

The Mayor and Chief Executive said the connectivity with the UK, Europe and the rest of the world will be critical for Kerry as the economy returns to normal levels of activity in the months and years after the COVID-19 crisis.

“In the years ahead, as we plot out the recovery from the devastating impact of the Coronavirus, Kerry Airport will be absolutely pivotal for business, tourism and the wider Kerry economy,” said Mayor Kelleher on Thursday.

“By offering critical transport links with Dublin, London, Manchester and continental Europe, the airport provides us with an essential conduit to the UK and the rest of Europe which will be hugely important as transport services begin to return to normal,’ said the Mayor.

“The funding base provided through the Public Service Obligation (PSO) will be critical in continuing to underpin the role that the airport at Farranfore plays in providing transport linkages for the county,” he said. Chief Executive Moira Murrell echoed Mayor Kelleher’s sentiments.

“Air transport links with the regions will be more essential than ever before in the years ahead. Kerry Airport has expanded its services in recent years with new connections to Berlin and Manchester, and that ambition needs to be underpinned by continuing support into the future,” she said.

“As well as the benefits for tourism locally, the airport provides a vital link for the business sector in the county and for the companies with an international reach which employ so many people locally,” Ms Murrell said.

The Mayor of Kerry and Chief Executive of Kerry County Council have issued a joint statement backing Kerry Aiport after calls to cut State funding for regional airports.