KNOCK BUSINESS PARK
PLANS SET TO TAKE OFF
23 October 1996
By TOM GILLESPIE
THE CAMPAIGN to establish an International Business Park and Industrial Zone at Knock Airport is gaining momentum.Over the past six months Airport directors have examined similar developments in locations in Europe and the United States. Discussions have also been held with a variety of business interests experienced in this type of development. The opening of such a tax free zone would lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs.
And Knock International Airport are to open a development office at Tucker Street, Castlebar to facilitate the progress of the initial development plan for the base.
This includes the provision of an international airport capable of taking wide bodies jets and to initiate a series of scheduled flights to facilitate business executives seeking a fast and comfortable service to London and beyond.
It was envisaged that such a service would be boon also to emigrants coming on holiday or paying a fleeting week-end visit home.
The Board also want to encourage tourism to the region by enticing tour operators to look at Knock as the Gateway to the West/North West of Ireland. The first step in this project was the attraction of Cosmos/ICS tours to engage in services Basle/Knock, Zurich/Knock and more recently Frankfurt/Knock and Hamburg/Knock
These charters resulted in 8.000 passenger movements through the airport bringing tourists to the wider Connaught-Donegal region.
The board members are in discussions at the moment for two additional flights for next year from Munich/Knock and Dusseldorf/Knock. To progress this tourism sector further the Board of Knock International Airport has set a separate independent company, West of Ireland Holidays Ltd.
This company which will promote and market tourism in the West/North West, will be driven by Bord Failte, the tourism trade, the local authorities in the wider region, who together with knock International Airport, car hire companies will provide the necessary share capital.
The Knock Board has committed itself to investing £60,000 per annum over the next seven years in this company.
Recently a marketing executive, with experience on Mainland Europe, has been selected to fill the post of General Manager - Marketing in the new company.
A Board spokesman said it was with a view to progressing these matters that they had decided
to open the development office in Castlebar.
Connaught Telegraph - News - October 1996
Connaught Telegraph - Sport - October 1996
