Waterford Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Waterford Airport
nativename = Aerphort Phort Láirge


image-width = 174
IATA = WAT
ICAO = EIWF
type = Public
owner =
operator = Waterford Airport Company/Comhlacht Aerphort Phort Láirge
city-served = Waterford
location =
elevation-f = 119
elevation-m = 36
website = [http://flywaterford.com/ FlyWaterford.com]
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 03/21
r1-length-f = 4,701
r1-length-m = 1,433
r1-surface = Asphalt
footnotes = Sources: Airport website [http://flywaterford.com/ Waterford Airport] , official site] and DAFIF WAD|EIWF|source=DAFIF] GCM|WAT|source=DAFIF]

Waterford Airport Airport codes|WAT|EIWF, or Aerphort Phort Láirge in Irish, also known as the South East Regional Airport, is located near Waterford, and Wexford serving the south-east coast of the Republic of Ireland.

Airport development was initiated by Waterford Corporation with Irish Government and private support in 1979–1980. The investment was £1.76 million. The airport opened in 1981 with a 1,200-metre long, 29-metre wide runway for single and twin-engine light aircraft and a portable cabin as terminal building. In 1992 the current terminal building was opened and the runway extended to its current length of 1,433 metres an increased to 30 metres wide.

Avair provided the first domestic passenger service in 1982, between Cork, Waterford and Dublin. In 1985 Ryanair launched the company's first passenger scheduled service from Waterford, flying to London Gatwick, before upgrading and switching the service to London Luton. At various times, services have been provided by Aer Lingus 1987 to 1988 (Dublin), Orient Air 1993 (Gloucester, London Luton and Jersey), Manx Airlines 1993 to 2000 (London Stansted and Manchester) later to become British Regional Airlines, and then part of the British Airways group, Suckling Airways 1994 to 1999 (London Luton) later to become Scotairways, Emerald Airways 1996 (Liverpool), Euroceltic Airways 2001 to 2003 (London Luton, Liverpool & Dublin). In 2006 Waterford Airport celebrated 21 years of scheduled operations.

Aer Arann is currently the only scheduled airline operating from Waterford Airport with daily services to London Luton, Manchester, Birmingham, and summer services to Lorient. These services are operated by a by a single ATR 72 turboprop aircraft which is based at Waterford Airport.

From May 2008 Nex Aviation will operate jet services to Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Faro and Malaga, under the Aer Arann franchise with a BAe 146, 100 seater jet aircraft. Nex Aviation expect to announce additional destinations during 2008.

*2003 - 24,000 passengers
*2004 - 55,000 passengers
*2005 - 71,000 passengers
*2006 - 85,000 passengers
*2007 - 116,000 passengers

Passenger numbers are forecast to grow to 500,000 over the next 5 years.

Waterford Airport is the base for the South East Rescue Helicopter operated by the Irish Coast Guard and provides 24 hour marine rescue cover. The Pilot Training College of Ireland flight training organisation, approved by the Irish Aviation Authority, and carrying out commercial pilot training is based here. Pilot training forms a major part of the day-to-day activity at the airport. Waterford Aero Club is based at the airport.

Expansion

On the 13th of March 2007 a €27.5 million upgrade of Waterford Airport was announced. Over the next two years the money will be spent on extending the runway, building a new passenger terminal capable of handling one million passengers a year and introducing scheduled flights to European cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Prague and Rome. There will also be charter flights to Mediterranean holiday resorts. The expansion will mean that air travellers in the southeast of Ireland will soon have a "credible alternative" to Dublin and Cork airports, according to officials at Waterford Airport. The chief executive of Waterford Airport Graham Doyle said "the extended runway, which we hope to have in place by summer 2009, will allow the airport to handle large jet aircraft, including the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737".

The fully upgraded and remodelled connecting road, R708, from Waterford city to the Airport was completed in early July 2008, reduceing the journey time from Waterford City Centre to the Airport to 10 minutes at off peak times and from the outer ring road to the Airport to 5 minutes.

Airlines and destinations

*Aer Arann (Amsterdam, Birmingham, London-Luton, Manchester, Lorient)
**operated by Nex Aviation (Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Faro, Malaga)

Companies based at Waterford Airport

* Aer Arann
* South Coast Helicopters (Pilot training)
* CHC Ireland (operator of Coast Guard Helicopter)
* Clarke Aviation (recreational flying)
* International Academy of Travel
* Pilot Training College Ireland (Pilot training)
* Shamrock Aviation (Aircraft Maintenance)
* Waterford Aero Club (Pilot training)

Airport data

*Aerodrome licensed for: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Category A & B aircraft
*ICAO RFF: Category 2, with up to Category 7 available on request
*Aerodrome elevation: 36.3 m (119 ft)
*Runways: Asphalt (PCN 12-15) RWY03 and RWY21
*Take off distance available: 1,433 m (4,701 ft), for both runways
*Landing distance available:
** RWY03 1,343 m (4,406 ft)
** RWY21 1,290 m (4,232 ft)
*Waterford tower: 129.85 MHz
*Waterford ATIS 121.15 MHz (also available by telephoning 00353-51-877000)
*Waterford Ground 121.6 MHz
*Waterford information: 129.85 MHz
*Navigation aids: ILS (RWY 21) Cat 1 110.9 MHz IWD, DME (Zero range THR RWY 21) 110.9 MHz IWD, NDB (DOC 15 nm) 368 kHz WTD

See also

* Waterford
* Duncormick
* Weston Airport
* Dublin International Airport

References

External links

* [http://www.pilottraining.ie/ Pilot Training College Ireland]
* [http://www.flyhelicopters.ie/ South Coast Helicopters]
* [http://www.iaot.net/ International Academy of Travel]
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