Advocates Urge Galway Councils to Halt Proposed €10.5m Airport Sale

Advocates for the reopening of Galway Airport are intensifying their campaign to prevent its sale, warning that the move could lead to the permanent loss of a strategic piece of national infrastructure. The 118-acre Carnmore site, jointly owned by the Galway City and County Councils, has been prepared for sale, with an expected price of at least €10.5 million.

While the airport has been closed to commercial flights since 2011, it remains operational for non-commercial aviation, including the Galway Flying Club. Proponents argue this existing functionality makes a revival feasible without significant capital expenditure. A briefing document titled “21 Reasons to retain Galway Airport” asserts the facility is “already usable” and could rapidly return to commercial service, a point contested by council officials who state no fully developed commercial proposal has been formally submitted.

Industry and Political Pressure

The debate has drawn in significant industry players and local politicians. The Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA) has formally expressed interest in establishing a major base at Galway, projecting it could generate “in excess of 1,000 movements per month once… fully operational.” In a letter to the council, AFTA Chief Executive Mark Casey cautioned that “decisions to permanently remove aviation infrastructure should be approached with particular caution,” emphasizing that once an airport is decommissioned, the option to meet future strategic needs is lost.

This sentiment is echoed by several local councillors. During a December 2025 meeting, Independent councillor Tomás Ó Curraóin warned, “Once it goes, it is very hard to get it back.” Others lamented the absence of an airport in Galway as “a shame,” recalling its historical importance for business connectivity and emergency services.

Competing Visions for Carnmore

Despite the push for an aviation-focused future, council officials have positioned the site differently. Galway County Council Chief Executive Liam Conneally has noted the airport land is being marketed as a strategic economic development zone, attracting interest from State agencies and private investors for non-aviation purposes. With an Advised Minimum Value (AMV) of €90,000 per acre, the sale represents a significant financial opportunity for the local authorities.

This has created a sharp division among local representatives. Some councillors argue the land should be used to address pressing regional needs like housing or recreation. Others, like Fine Gael councillor James Charity, have warned against short-sightedness, advocating for protections that preserve at least some aviation capabilities on the site, particularly for search and rescue operations.

The most immediately affected stakeholder is the Galway Flying Club, which faces the loss of its operational base. For AFTA, the sale would remove a key opportunity for expansion, while local emergency services could lose a valuable staging area for air ambulances and organ transport.

Context and Historical Precedents

The situation at Galway mirrors developments at other regional airports across Europe. The 2011 closure of Plymouth City Airport in the UK sparked a long-running local campaign to reopen it after the land was earmarked for redevelopment, a pattern that closely resembles the current debate in Galway. In contrast, Sheffield City Airport, which closed in 2008, was successfully redeveloped into a business park, representing the permanent loss of aviation infrastructure that advocates in Galway fear.

However, the case of Manston Airport, which closed in 2014, offers a different outcome. After being sold for redevelopment, it was later reacquired and is being reopened as a freight hub, demonstrating that a return to aviation use post-sale is sometimes possible, though often difficult.

What Comes Next

The future of the Carnmore site hinges on upcoming decisions by the Galway City and County Councils. A formal vote on the expressions of interest and the potential sale of the land is expected to take place in mid-to-late 2026. The outcome will determine whether the site is sold for non-aviation development or if protections are put in place to retain its potential as an airport.

Why This Matters

The debate over Galway Airport is a microcosm of a larger conflict facing regional aviation: the tension between preserving long-term strategic infrastructure and capitalizing on short-term land value. The decision by the Galway councils will serve as a significant precedent for other underutilized regional airports in Ireland and beyond, signaling whether such assets are viewed as disposable real estate or as vital, irreplaceable components of national connectivity and emergency response networks.