Kerry Airport CEO on "relentless wounding" of COVID-19
Source: John Mulhern, CEO, Kerry Airport, Ireland, 30 October 2020
Ryanair have confirmed cancellation of all it’s Irish regional airport flights for at least 4 weeks from mid November. This announcement unfortunately affects Kerry Airport despite the losses we and all the regional airports have tried to absorb in our valiant efforts to keep some routes active. Their decision came as no surprise to many, including myself. Like other businesses this relentless wounding continues to pile pressure on our resolve and our future existence. The precise contributing factors to diminished bookings however are up for debate as once again Europe is blanketed in virus transmission and people seem uncomfortable with flying to anywhere that might put their own or others health at risk, whether they have a negative test result themselves or not. Flying itself is intrinsically safe, it’s the place one is going to or coming from and the reliability of rapid screening where the issues may lie. For me it is a battle everyday to find balance between the commercial instinct to drive up passenger numbers by whatever means and the need to protect our vulnerable population, frontline staff and finite healthcare facilities. Particularly now as we must again endure Winters inevitable inpatient-bed pressures in the midst of a 2nd surge of SARS-CoV-2.
#WildAtlanticKerry
Ryanair have confirmed cancellation of all it’s Irish regional airport flights for at least 4 weeks from mid November. This announcement unfortunately affects Kerry Airport despite the losses we and all the regional airports have tried to absorb in our valiant efforts to keep some routes active. Their decision came as no surprise to many, including myself. Like other businesses this relentless wounding continues to pile pressure on our resolve and our future existence. The precise contributing factors to diminished bookings however are up for debate as once again Europe is blanketed in virus transmission and people seem uncomfortable with flying to anywhere that might put their own or others health at risk, whether they have a negative test result themselves or not. Flying itself is intrinsically safe, it’s the place one is going to or coming from and the reliability of rapid screening where the issues may lie. For me it is a battle everyday to find balance between the commercial instinct to drive up passenger numbers by whatever means and the need to protect our vulnerable population, frontline staff and finite healthcare facilities. Particularly now as we must again endure Winters inevitable inpatient-bed pressures in the midst of a 2nd surge of SARS-CoV-2.
#WildAtlanticKerry