Regional TDs find their fates linked to airports

As the election looms, local TDs lobby hard for continued support in keeping air links open

Knock Airport no longer receives state subsidies for flights but still has a debt of almost €9 million
Knock Airport no longer receives state subsidies for flights but still has a debt of almost €9 million

All the clamour over the potential loss of Aer Lingus’s Heathrow slots for Shannon, Cork and Dublin airports has obscured the even bigger difficulties facing regional airports.

Knock Airport is seeking a bailout for its debt of almost €9 million and is totally dependent on government grants to cover its annual losses.

The country’s two other main ...