Knock has a new terminal, new all weather landing system and the runway can support any size jet aircraft. Most importantly it has 4 scheduled low cost airlines and many holiday charter airlines providing a growing list of routes and has been commercially successful over the last 5 years without government subvention. We have the opportunity to support a high quality international airport in Ireland West that can provide the services we need to bring tourists into the NW region and support business / leisure connectivity.

The Sligo airport management have admitted that the runway extension will not grow services from Sligo. If all the effort and money being thrown at the runway extension was aimed at getting the NRA/politicans to bring-forward the N17 Atlantic Corridor upgrades then Sligo would have a far better facility within 30 mins drive along with the benefits of improved road access and an unharmed coastline.

We should be also lobby our politicians to provide bus services to Ireland West Airport, several Bus Eireann Sligo – Galway coaches pass the airport on the N17 every day without stopping, it would cost nothing to add the airport stop. Instead Bus Eireann continue to add services from Sligo to Dublin Airport 3 hrs away, ignoring any sort of sensible regional transport integration.

It’s time for us all to wake up and look how we can make the most practical use of our limited resources to benefit the wider population.