Enniskillen Airport Plan May Get Off The Ground

March 2, 2004

Airport Plan May Get Off The Ground
ic NorthernIreland.co.uk, Ireland

   
AIRCRAFT may soon be flying into Fermanagh again, with
the revival of Enniskillen airport at St Angelo.

Last night, Fermanagh District councillors ratified a
recommendation to accept a business plan submitted by
the group to operate and develop the airfield.

Once hailed as a travellers dream and the gateway to
Fermanagh, Tyrone and the west of Ireland, the airport
will once again provide airspace to attract tourists
to the Lakelands.

The airport will also be used for non-aviation events,
including the Circuit fo Ireland rally.

The airport was closed in January, 2002, following a
downturn in business in the wake of the terrorist
attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001.

Prior to 'moth-balling' the airfield, the council had
been endeavouring to obtain a Public Service
Obligation (PSO) in the hope of establishing a service
between Enniskillen and the Belfast airports.

Flights between Jersey and Zurich were also halted
with the closure. Proposals by a British business
consortium to develop a theme park on the site were
also turned down by the council last year.

Alan Cathcart, spokesman for Fermanagh Airport
Consortium, said the move to revive and develop the
airport will bring much-needed benefits to the area.

He said there were still a number of outstanding
issues to be resolved before an opening date could be
set, but welcomed the move by Fermanagh council to
agree in principal to the business plan.

"It will bring benefits to the county, especially the
tourism industry and local industry.

"Rather than being a burden on the council and rate
payers, it will reverse that trend and bring benefits
for all,'' he said.

He said once the airport is open for business it will
be running with the potential of handling traffic from
the UK and abroad.

However, initially, the developers believe much of its
income will be generated by small operators.

The council has agreed in principal to the latest
busienss plans, subject to a number of changes
outlined by its chief executive, advice from legal
teams on a suitable lease, and the introduction of a
means of measuring progress of the business plans.

Ulster Unionist Tom Elliott said the airport was a
great asset to Fermanagh and that he was looking
forward to it being used again.

He said the private consortium involved in the
proposals have a huge contribution to make and they
should go ahead and make a go of it.

 

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