Airlines have responded positively to Waterford City and County Council ‘sapproval of a €30m investment proposal by Bolster Group through Waterford Airport Ltd, fully funded by an mystery US private investor.
The project includes runway extension over 2,000 metres and width to 45 metres plus infrastructure upgrades to restore commercial passenger services by end of 2027 targeting upwards of 400,000 passengers annually within five years.
Works start early 2026 and take around 12 months to complete enhancing regional development and tourism.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary revealed likelihood of operating two or three weekly flights to London if a jet runway exists and charges remain free.
Emerald Airlines welcomed the redevelopment and responded to queries with a statement that they will consider new services aligning with strategic goals without basing aircraft there.
William Bolster shared “The positive vote is fantastic news and paves the way to deliver a vital infrastructure project for the South-East. This will not only secure existing jobs but will allow employment to expand with upwards of 100 jobs both on and off site involved during construction.”
Michael O’Leary shared “It is likely, I would think, we might put in a London flight. I think maybe you’d start off maybe two or three flights a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We’ve said this to them in writing before. If you build a jet runway, we’ll certainly look at maybe linking into London, two or three times a week, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
“It would be highly unlikely. I could be surprised, and I could be wrong, and maybe it might sustain a daily flight. I can’t see us ever basing an aircraft in Waterford. It’s not a commercial proposition, not because there is anything wrong with Waterford, it’s just in the immediate catchment area of both Cork and Dublin. The problem with Waterford is that it is less than a two-hour drive to Cork and less than a two-hour drive to Dublin. As a result it is bang in the catchment area of Cork Airport and Dublin Airport, which have more route choices, more frequencies. Ultimately, Waterford is not a commercial proposition, and that’s because there’s nothing wrong with Waterford, it’s just on the wrong side of the city and it’s in the catchment area of Cork and Dublin.
I have never criticised Waterford Airport, by the way, we wish them well. Ultimately, the challenge is we have too many airports in this country and the bigger ones cannibalise the smaller ones. If it was from a nostalgic point of view, we’d all go back to driving donkeys.”
Emerald Airlines shared “continually exploring opportunities to expand our route network as it moves into its next stage of growth. It will always consider new services that make strong commercial sense and align with our strategic goals.”
