Chambers calls for passenger cap on airport funding programme to be raised to facilitate expansion at Knock Airport
European election candidate Lisa Chambers has called for the passenger cap on the Regional Airports Programme to be lifted to facilitate development and expansion at Ireland West Airport Knock
SENATOR Lisa Chambers has called on the Department of Transport to increase the passenger cap on the Regional Airports Programme to allow further expansion and development at Ireland West Airport Knock.
The European election candidate has said that the Department is ‘actively reassessing’ the passenger cap after she met with Fianna Fáil colleague Jack Chambers, Minister of State at the Department of Transport.
At present, only airports with passenger figures under one million per annum qualify for financial assistance under this initiative, which provides capital and operational funding to Ireland’s smaller airports.
In April, the airport received €3,665,981 in exchequer funding for thirteen safety and security-related projects under the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2025.
Ireland West Airport Knock recorded a record number of 818,000 passengers last year with over 6,000 flights departing and arriving at the airport in 2023.
Senator Chambers said that raising the cap on the Regional Airports Programme to three million passengers annually would enable ongoing financial backing for regional airports while adhering to state aid rules.
“Constricting the growth potential of Ireland West Airport Knock impedes regional economic advancement,” said Senator Chambers, who is running in the Midlands North West constituency.
“We must dismantle barriers to growth and empower the airport to achieve its objective of boosting passenger numbers. It is essential that we advocate for the removal of the current passenger cap on the Regional Airports Programme to ensure Ireland West Airport Knock can flourish and contribute to the economic prosperity of the Midlands Northwest.”
“Ireland West Airport is a cornerstone of economic growth and connectivity in our region, and we must take every measure to facilitate its expansion,” Senator Chambers concluded.
Some 102,000 passengers travelled through the airport last August, with over 4,500 passengers travelling through the airport on August 29 alone.