Knock on effects
30 November 2011
| Knock
A much needed boost to the local economy has been effected with the confirmation that an application for funding, under the Regional Airports Capital Expenditure Grant Scheme, has been approved by the Government to aid development at Knock Airport. The €4.1 million grant, which will be paid out over the next three years, will be used to upgrade existing facilities at the airport and enhance existing safety installations with additional safety and security equipment. The essential works will allow the airport to maintain operational status with optimal safety standards in place. The news of the grant was welcomed by others in the region's tourist industry, following on from the earlier news that Ryanair is to operate four new routes into Europe from Knock next summer. Commencing in March 2012 the flights will link the west of Ireland with the popular tourist destinations of Barcelona in Spain, Frankfurt in Germany, Milan in Italy, and the French capital, Paris. Tourists from those countries will thus be encouraged to visit the west of Ireland in greater numbers than before, it is hoped.