MANAGEMENT AT Kerry Airport in Farranfore have held talks with a number of low-cost airlines over the past number of weeks encouraging interest in bidding for the regional Kerry to Dublin route. It has been confirmed the route is up for tender again next month under the so-called Public Service Obligation (PSO) scheme for regional airports.
It is understood that the discussions have included the airline Flybe and at least two other airlines as well as Aer Arann. Ryanair’s decision before Christmas to pull out from the PSO scheme and to cease operating three return subsidised flights to Dublin from Kerry has had deep consequences for the airport. The airline said the €1.7 million subsidy it received was no longer covering additional costs.
Footfall through Kerry Airport has plummeted since Christmas and some 20 staff have been laid off. The Department of Transport confirmed yesterday it will subsidise two return flights a day between Kerry and Dublin.
Ryanair, which continues to operate one return flight a day on the Dublin route, said yesterday it would tender for the subsidised route again despite having pulled out of it previously. “If it goes ahead, we will tender for it,” a spokesman said.
Kerry is almost wholly dependent on Ryanair, which operates the German and other continental and UK routes.
The airport agm in two weeks’ time is expected to hear of all-time low traffic, although demand for continental connections to Germany, Portugal as well as to the UK is understood to be strong.
The domestic flights represented just under one-third of passenger numbers through the airport in recent years.