It’s 40 years today since Ryanair’s first ever scheduled service took to the skies.
The airline’s flight from Waterford Airport to London Gatwick departed on the morning of Monday July 8th 1985.
In the first week, bookings had exceeded the expected level by some 40 per cent as confidence grew about the future of the service.
Ryanair plane ‘The Spirit of Ireland’ at Waterford Airport in the mid 1980s. Photo: Munster Express
Support for new route
Sean Power of Harvey Travel on Gladstone Street in Waterford told WLR that local people were delighted to see the new service in operation.
“It was unbelievable,” he said. “Instead of having to travel to Dublin, when the roads were totally different than what they are now, people were absolutely delighted to see a service out of Waterford.”
He added: “People were also apprehensive about what type of aircraft it was and how long the flight would take. But when people heard there were lots of bookings, it drove even more people to book.”
Sean says the flight was especially convenient for the local business community and he was a regular passenger on the route himself.
“We were able to make contact with people in the UK and talk to them about inbound traffic into Waterford, building a package of a flight into Waterford and a hotel in the surrounding area,” he explained.
Passengers board the first Ryanair service on Monday July 8th 1985.
Avair flight to Dublin
Three years earlier, in 1982, Waterford’s new £1.5 million airport was finally granted its full flying wings when the Department of Transport & Power sanctioned a licence for international flights.
The news coincided with an announcement by Avair Ltd that a twice-weekly mid-day scheduled service between Dublin and Waterford was to commence on Monday, March 29th, 1982.
John O’Connor, former News Editor at The Munster Express, was among a group including members of the local business and political community which participated in a promotional flight for this route above the South-East.
Passengers on the first Avair flight after Waterford Airport received its operational licence. Photo: John O’Connor
“It was the first flight after the airport had received its operational licence,” he told WLR.
“I remember people like City Manager Michael Doody, TDs Billy Kenneally and Brian O’Shea, and trade unionist Jimmy Kelly being on board. We took off and flew around the South-East for about an hour.”
He also recalls huge support for the airport in its initial years.
“The general public really wanted an airport, especially the business people,” he said.
John was also a regular user of the airport over the years, often availing of the London routes on offer.
“It was more expensive, but really worth it,” he said.
Future of Waterford Airport
Earlier this year, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary cast doubt on the airline returning to Waterford – making reference to “local lunatics who are determined to get a government grant to build a jet runway”.
However, he did say the airline may operate “one or two flights a day” to London if there was an extended runway and a low-cost base.
Last week, the Department of Transport requested a second business case in relation to government support for an extended runway.
You can hear more about this historic day in aviation on WLR News and ‘Déise Today’
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