Knock Airport - Opportunities

Sinn Fein MLA Phil Flanagan has stated that much more needs to be done to maximise the benefits of the opportunities presented by Ireland West Airport (Knock) to the tourism sector in Co Fermanagh.

Mr Flanagan, who is the Deputy Chair of the Assembly's Enterprise, Trade & Investment Committee, was speaking after questioning the Tourism Minister Arlene Foster on the matter.

Last year the annual number of passengers using Knock reached 665,000 - the second highest traffic figures at the airport since it opened in 1986.

The airport now serves over 25 international destinations and is served by four of Europe's biggest airlines - Aer Lingus, Flybe, Germanwings and Ryanair.

New destinations for 2014 include a twice weekly service from Eindhoven in Holland, which commences at the beginning of April.

In addition, Ryanair will commence new direct services, three times weekly, to Glasgow, starting in June, and Kaunas (Lithuania) once weekly from April.

Mr Flanagan said:

"For many people and indeed many visitor attractions in Fermanagh, Knock Airport is actually the closest and easiest to access airport.

"For too long, the opportunities presented by Ireland West Airport in Knock to the tourism sector in Co Fermanagh have been overlooked as a result of the impact of partition and the existence of the border.

"Presently, foreign visitors coming into Ireland through southern points of entry will consult www.discoverireland.com and possibly be totally unaware of the existence of a separate site for the north.

"For instance a visitor arriving via Knock Airport, with some 665,000 visitors last year, will receive information on attractions and accommodation in counties such as Mayo, Sligo or Leitrim, but remain totally uninformed of the wealth of attractions north of the border in Fermanagh.

"It is a crying shame that the 665,000 people that arrived were not informed about sights and attractions of all of the surrounding counties.

"There needs to be a fresh look at how people wanting to visit Fermanagh actually get here.

"There is a fantastic facility at Knock Airport, Fermanagh's closest airport, and it has almost 300,000 empty passenger seats each year that need to be promoted and sold.

"However, the established tourism bodies continue to promote Belfast & Derry as the only airports capable of serving the local tourism sector.

"We need to do away with the failed partitionist approach to tourism promotion and development and embrace a cross-border solution with a coherent marketing plan, which would deliver a significant opportunity for Fermanagh's tourism sector."

Notes to Editors:

AQW 29085/11-1?5

Phil Flanagan MLA (Fermanagh & South Tyrone): To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment how her Department aims to maximise the opportunities presented by the potential arrival of visitors to Fermanagh through Knock Airport.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Investment Arlene Foster MLA: Ireland West Airport Knock (IWAK) is situated within another jurisdiction and services County Mayo and neighbouring counties in the Republic of Ireland. However, it can be used as a gateway to County Fermanagh, which can also be conveniently accessed via City of Derry Airport, Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport.

I have asked both Tourism Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to look at the opportunities presented by the potential visitors to Northern Ireland through Knock airport.
Promotional work has already been undertaken in Germany with Fermanagh-based cruise operators, highlighting access from Germany via Knock Airport and Tourism Ireland have offered to undertake co-operative marketing with Ryanair in 2014 featuring Fermanagh and ease of access through Knock Airport.

Whilst the Northern Ireland Tourist Board currently markets Northern Ireland at Dublin Airport and has no presence at Knock Airport they too may give consideration to future campaigns, through visitor servicing and messaging at the airport itself, working with the airlines on destination promotion or through press and advertising in the Knock/Mayo area.
Posted by Phil Flanagan at 15:17

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