Knock airport gets ¤1.9m in operations grant
FUNDS TO RUN KNOCK AIRPORT WHILE MAJOR PLANS BEGIN
IRELAND West Airport Knock has received a funding boost of ¤1.9million to help pay for air traffic control, fire, safety and security costs.
It’s part of a €3.6 million regional airport package announced by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross for airports in Donegal, Knock and Kerry.
The latest allocation brings the total grant funding this year under the Regional Airports Programme to €5.5 million.
Chairman of the airport Joe Kennedy has welcomed the funding: “We wish to acknowledge the support of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross in awarding this funding for the airport.
“We also wish to thank Min- ister Michael Ring and his department for their ongoing support and in particular their support for the development of a new Tourist Visit Centre at the airport which will open next year,” he said.
“I wish to also extend our thanks to local representatives for their support for the airport throughout the year.
“2017 will see the airport have its busiest ever year with passenger numbers set to reach almost 750,000 and this year has also seen the airport embark on a major investment plan aimed at transforming the facility over the next three years with a planned €15m investment in new passenger facilities, terminal upgrades and infrastructural works across the airport facility and runway.
“I would like to thank the Department of Transport, our local authority partners and our airport customers for their support in delivering these projects over the next three years.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Government on a long term commitment and investment to support the airport’s growth and development plans,” he added.
The Government funds the three regional airports under the Public Policy Remit Operational Expenditure Subvention (PPR- O) Scheme for 2017
The Regional Airports Programme supports necessary safety and security investments and activities by these airports to enable them to continue to contribute to enhanced regional connectivity for businesses and tourism.
The Review of the Capital Plan that was announced in September by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform identified the need for continued support for this Programme.
Minister Ross said “The review of the Capital Plan yielded over €17 million in additional capital funding for the Regional Airports Programme over the period 2019 to 2021, considerably in excess of the €10 million in extra funding that was originally mooted in the Programme for Government.”
The Programme provides for Exchequer support to contribute towards the significant operational costs associated with air traffic control, fire, safety and security at the airport.