Ryanair bringing London closer
June 1986
London within three and a half hours – that’s the service offered to Wexford businessmen by Ireland’s newest airline.
Waterford-based Ryanair now brings the English capital nearer for the busy executive, with a one-hour car journey from Wexford to the airport, flight time of one and a half hours to Luton Airport, and a one hour coach journey into London.
Ryanair price structuring also makes the service attractive to businessmen throughout the south-east. A one-way fare, Waterford to London, costs a very competitive £69, with the return fare costing £119.
Servicing the route is a twin-engined 48-seater plane. It leaves Waterford Airport at 1.20 p.m., Monday to Friday, arriving at Luton at 2.50 p.m. On Sunday, departure is at 5.20 p.m. and arrival at 6.50 p.m.
Luton departures are at 10.40 a.m. Monday to Friday, arriving in Waterford at 12.10 p.m. The Sunday service leaves Luton at 2.40 p.m., arriving in Waterford at 4.10 p.m.
While the new company offers a unique service to businessmen, Ryanair in return is seeking help from politicians, industrialists and commercial interests in the south-east.
Ryanair Managing Director, Eugene O’Neill, said in London on Sunday night that industrial development will not occur anywhere in the country without the convenience of a local airport equipped to international standards.
He said he was pleased with the efforts to improve Waterford Airport, but much more was still needed, and now is the time to fund that development with Government money.
Speaking to local politicians, businessmen and journalists from Waterford, Wexford, Clonmel and Kilkenny, flown to London by Ryanair, Mr O’Neill said the project would produce jobs and wealth throughout the region.
He said: ‘ this is a joint project. We have shown up to now that we will provide the service, even at a loss, and all we expect in return is continued and renewed support from all concerned in making Waterford Airport a real viable proposition of which the south-east can be proud.
‘ The long-term benefits are enormous to the area and I am quite confident that within five to ten years, the region will show a degree of development and prosperity hitherto unthought of in these days of doom and gloom.’