When set against the 2007 figures, passenger numbers at Waterford Airport rose by 24 per cent last year: that’s the most encouraging finding in the airport’s annual report.
In an upbeat statement, Airport Chairman Dan Browne said that a total of 144,000 availed of the services Aer Arann provided at Killowen last year, compared to the 116,000 figure attained in ’07.
Throwing non-scheduled private aircraft movements into the equation, Mr Browne was pleased to announce that total aircraft movements last year came to 30,000.
During 2008, several projects were carried out under the €27.8 million capital programme approved by the Government; with €5.5 million of that to be raised by the airport.
“Significant further work is planned, but is delayed until exchequer finances improve to allow it to proceed,” according to Mr Browne.
“The Board of Waterford Airport remains fully committed to the capital programme and see it as essential to the development of Waterford Airport and the role it is playing in the economic development of the South East region.”
With the upgraded Airport Road an unabashed success and the second Suir crossing soon to open, the Board believes that a further increase in passenger numbers is inevitable given the improvement in local infrastructure.
One Sunday myself and a friend took a day trip to London flying out of Waterford Airport. We paid Aer Arann €85.86 each for a return booking.
We left home in Waterford City at 06:30 and arrived at Waterford Airport at 06:50, leaving the car in the airport car park, and got the 07:30 flight to Luton arriving at 08:50.
Got sterling cash from an ATM at Luton Airport. We bought day return tickets to London from a vending machine at bus stop at the airport for ₤14 (sterling) each. Five minutes by bus to Luton Airport Parkway train station, then a train into London Saint Pancras station arriving at 10:10.
We got tickets from London Underground for ₤5.60 (sterling) each which gave us unlimited travel on every bus and train in Central London for the day. We used bus and Tube to get around London and both of us spent a fortune on Oxford Street.
We bought food & drink in Marks & Spencer and took the Tube to Vauxhall then we walked along Albert Embankment beside the River Thames towards Waterloo. We sat on a bench for an hour facing the Thames and Big Ben. The weather was fantastic. While we were on the bench we had the food & drink we bought in Mark & Spencer watching dozens of boats running along the Thames hearing Big Ben’s bells ringing every 15 minutes.
We put our litter in a bin beside the bench then walked across Westminster Bridge towards Big Ben. We walked down a flight of steps and the end of the bridge directly under Big Ben which lead us into Westminster Tube station. We got the Tube to King’s Cross Saint Pancras then got a train at Saint Pancras station to Luton Airport Parkway then a bus to Luton Airport.
We arrived at the Airport at 19:35 and checked-in for the 20:50 flight to Waterford. We went to Burger King before going to the boarding gate.
The flight arrived in Waterford at 22:20. Paid €8 for the car park. And we were home at 22:40.
We had a brilliant day and will be doing it again every summer.