DONEGAL airport at Carrickfin will get government grants to keep it going next year – but City of Derry and Sligo are to lose funding, the Government announced tonight.
In a press statement, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar said that €5.9m in additional funding would be available for regional airports this year.
But he said that “from next year, the Government will only be in a position to support the four regional airports at Donegal, Knock Ireland West, Kerry and Waterford.
“The Government will not be able to provide operational or capital funding to Galway or Sligo airports.
The €5.9m comes on top of the €13.4m already allocated to regional airports for this year by the last government, the statement added.
Mr Varadkar urged Galway and Sligo airports to use the opportunity provided by the additional funding to engage with various parties, including business interests, investors and local authorities, in order to secure their ongoing viability in some form.
“All the regional airports must use this period (2011) to prepare realistic business plans for the future, as funding cannot be maintained at current levels,” he said.
“The right thing to do is support the most viable airports, where there is also a clear geographical need for their services.”
The statement the decision was taken based on “significant improvements in road networks, shorter journey times by road and rail, and the collapse in passengers flying domestically.”
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