Baldonnel to 'go civvie' again?

[Fouga]

alot of the RAF bases let civvy biz jets operate from them

[sealion]

Isnt westons future limited by the growth of Lucan? I remember some Esker locals complaining about it some time ago

[Guinness]

What about safety?
When Don gets civvies there will be an increase of problems as well,to my opinion.

It will take more than double the security and what about all the " contractors" who will be all over the place?
If some groups want to do bad...........this is the time to do so!!

Am I short sighted ??

Guinness

[Fouga]

how do you mean "contractors"? wont they be working on the other side of the airfield? dont see how they can be trouble dont remember any RAF bases having trouble with contractors..

[sealion]

All contractors working on any DoD Property go through security clearance from the Gardai before they are permitted to work.

[FiannaFail]

Guinness,
I suspose we should ask how do all the other joint military/civilian airports manage their security and safety issues.  I do not think that we Irish would be anyway less professional! '>

[Guinness]

I never said I don't have any faith in the IDF security force but the risks are higher, no matter how you look at it.

But on the other hand...... what is out there to be affraid from at the first place?

Guinness

[Historical-avi-irl.i8.com]

We've only ever had one terrorist attack in our airspace, The Air India B747 in the 80's. And the aircraft didn't go through an Irish Airport...
Besides I went through Munich INTL, yesterday, now they have security checks, I don't think Dublin INTL even turn on there metal detecters half of the time (I wore the same amount of metal going throught DUB on the way over as in Munich, and guess which side I was stopped at, not to blame the staff; only the IAA!), and as for proper baggage scanning! Baldonnel is nearly up to the job as much as Dublin, even without investment!

(I still like the idea of Weston, and besides noise problems!)
The Debate Will Continue!

[Tracker]

I know this has all been the subject of endless speculation before, but isn't there a basic premise being overlooked? That Baldonnel exists as the main (& now only) base of Air Corps operations. The highest operational priority being the security of Irish airspace, & where is (supposedly) more important to protect in these times of terrorism that our political, administrative & financial Capital?

So pushing the Air Corps down to the Midlands or Mid-West would majorly hamper its ability to protect, patrol or medevac from the Capital. Even sharing Casement Air Base with commercial operators would have to be closely considered, as in do you have a Priority System for the Military Air Traffic over the Commercial? Would commercial operators be happy to be burning fuel in a Hold or on Missed Approach Procedures to allow PC-9s away or the GASU helicopters respond to urgent Garda missions?

I feel that I am only skimming the surface of this topic but I believe that if any operators are to be pushed out (in the long term) to another airport or green field site it should not be the Air Corps.

[John K]

Tracker, as I said before Aldergrove works fine and there are quite a few aircraft movements there around the clock! There are quite a few airports now that share space between Military and Civil stuff. I don't suppose the Aer lingus 737 would mind waiting for the PC9 to take off 'cos the pilot probably knows that he'll be overtaking it in a few minutes!