Mayor of Waterford, Councillor Mary Roche, today called on the people of Waterford to support Aer Arann, the passenger airline at Waterford Airport, as it goes through a period of Examinership. The Mayor stated her firm belief in the importance of the airline to business and tourism in Waterford and praised the services that Aer Arann continues to provide to and from the South East.

According to the Mayor, "the key routes to London, Manchester and Birmingham are critical to business investment in this region. In my recent round of discussions with large businesses based in Waterford, the importance placed upon direct access to key air routes is striking."

"Over 50% of traffic at the airport is now passengers visiting from the UK for business and leisure – in the context of our citys renewed focus on inward tourism, it is critical that we do all we can to support these services into the future. Our airport is a vital element of our infrastructure and we need to underline its importance to Government and seek to build upon the asset that we have."

"Recent studies have shown that Waterford Airport supports approximately 560 jobs in the South East, before considering the impact of air services on business location decisions."

"While I know that Waterford Airport has long had excellent custom from Kilkenny, Wexford, South Tipperary and Carlow, the new road infrastructure has greatly added to the airport usage in the region and to the convenience for inbound visitors to the Southeast."

"From my contacts with airport management, I am assured that it is business as usual at the airport and that all Aer Arann flights in and out of Waterford will continue through the Examinership. As Aer Arann uses the Examinership process to seek new investment, it is very encouraging to hear that the routes at Waterford Airport are among the best performing in their network and that Waterford is central to the future plans for the airline."