Waterford Airport, and three of other regional airports around the country, will be part of a new public consultation, launched by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross yesterday.
The Minister is reviewing the funding model for the four airports, and launched a paper for consultation yesterday into how the airports can better serve the most isolated areas of the country.
However, it's not necessarily good news for Waterford, and its proposed runway extension, as the airport's proximity to Cork may mean it won't be seen as the same strategic importance as more isolated airports like Dublin and Knock.
The airport currently has no scheduled services.
"While the absence of the airport would mean that residents of Waterford City and the South East are around two hours from the nearest airports, this must be balanced against the lack of services currently being provided. The proposed lengthening of the runway may attract airlines which can land larger aircraft, but the current lack of services may also imply a lack of demand" Mr Ross said.
The consultation is set to end at the end of September, while Mr Ross will set out a regional airport programme - set to bring the country up to 2024, later on this year.
