Ryanair ‘likely’ to operate flights to London from Waterford Airport, says Michael O'Leary

Ryanair is “likely” to operate flights to London from Waterford Airport after its redevelopment, its chief executive has said.

Michael O’Leary was speaking to RTÉ News following the announcement of a private investment proposal to extend the airport’s runway.

Mr O’Leary said: “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.”

However, Mr O’Leary said it was “highly unlikely” that Ryanair would operate a daily service from Waterford.

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He also questioned the commercial viability of the project and if Waterford could attract the passenger numbers needed to sustain the airport.

“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.”

He went on to describe the airport’s target of 400,000 passengers annually within five years as a “pie in the sky”.

He added that he believes Waterford “will be stuck with very small frequencies or very small schedules.”

Mr O’Leary continued: "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.”

This year marks 40 years since Ryanair first-ever commercial flight, which ran from Waterford Airport to Gatwick Airport in London.

However, Michael O’Leary said any decision to return to Waterford Airport would not be made on nostalgia grounds.

"If it was from a nostalgic point of view, we'd all go back to driving donkeys," he said.

Last week, Waterford City and County Council voted in favour of a new private investment proposal for Waterford Airport.

The €30 million investment plan will see the Bolster Group partner with a secret US investor to extend the airport’s runway.

Extending the runway is expected to allow for larger planes to land and take off at the airport, paving the way for commercial flights to return to the airport for the first time since 2016.

William Bolster, Executive of the Bolster Group, has said the plan is to have all contracts signed for the redevelopment by Christmas.

Construction will then be scheduled to begin in the New Year, with upgrades to the airport’s car parking facilities, terminal and ground equipment also planned.