Ireland West Airport in Knock has announced transatlantic flights beginning in early summer with five services weekly to JFK airport in New York and Logan airport in Boston.
It is estimated that the services planned by Scottish carrier Flyglobespan have the potential to bring up to 35,000 US tourists and an estimated €28 million spending boost to the west and northwest in the current year alone.
According to airport managing director Liam Scollan this is expected to grow to over 56,000 US tourists with an estimated spend of up to €45 million by 2008. Announcing the new services in Knock airport yesterday, Minister for Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív described it as "a historic day, a landmark day" for Ireland West Airport Knock and congratulated the airport board for the "hard work and ingenuity" which had overcome legal barriers to make the breakthrough possible.
Mr Ó Cuív predicted that Knock would soon be known as "Dublin West Airport" because of the frustration passengers felt about using Dublin with its regular congestion. He went on to describe Knock as "a friendly and convenient airport, a better place to fly out of than other places on the island".
Regional population figures were very encouraging for the airport, the Minister stated. Between 2002 and 2006 the population of Connacht had soared by 8.4 per cent. For the first time in history the population of the region was growing faster than the national average.
Jim Kelly, a Boston-based travel agent, told the large gathering that for the 25,000 tourists from the US that visited Ireland every year the biggest problem was access. But the new services would deliver tourists into the heart of the west, northwest and midlands.
Parish priest of Knock, Msgr Joseph Quinn said the new flights offered particular potential for pilgrim flights from the US.
There would be a joint initiative between the Knock Shrine authorities and the airport board on marketing in America, he said.
The airline will operate three services a week from Knock to JFK airport, starting on May 27th, and two services weekly to Boston Logan International Airport, starting on May 30th.
Fares on the transatlantic flights will start at €139 plus tax each way.