Waterford News

Ryanair Boss calls those seeking Government funding for Waterford Airport 'local lunatics'

Ryanair Boss calls those seeking Government funding for Waterford Airport 'local lunatics'
Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty

The CEO of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, has described those seeking Government funding for the extension of a runway at Waterford Airport as 'a bunch of local lunatics'.

He made the comments during the airline's quarterly press conference in the UK during the week.

During the conference, the Ryanair boss was asked if he would be going back to Waterford to celebrate the 40th anniversary.

At first, O'Leary seemed confused responding "Who? Oh yeah..", before asking his colleague Áine to answer the question.

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He later answered the question saying Waterford Airport has no commercial or economic future.

"It's about an hour from Cork Airport. We have said, and there's a bunch of local lunatics there who are determined to get a government grant to build a jet runway, we said if we get a jet runway and there was a low-cost base, i.e. it was free, we might put one or two flights a day back in there from London, but really it's in the catchment area of Cork and Dublin and therefore I think it has no commercial or economic future, but we wish them well."

Talks for the development of the runway extension at the airport have been ongoing for a number of years with O'Leary previously being supportive of the project.

In 2023, The Comer Group International confirmed it would invest €12m in Waterford Airport, in partnership with the Bolster Group, with the Government poised to provide matching funding as strategic support for the South East economy.

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The project is also backed by local authorities in the South East.

However, the Government is now seeking clarification on key issues surrounding its supporting investment - and the airport business plan

Waterford Airport opened in 1981 and hasn’t had commercial scheduled airline services since 2016.

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