The Cathaoirleach and Chief Executive of Kerry County Council have emphasised the central importance of Kerry Airport in securing the economic recovery in the county in the years ahead.

The Council said that connectivity with the UK, Europe and the rest of the world would be critical for Kerry as the economy returns to normal levels of activity in the months and years after the Coronavirus crisis.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Niall Kelleher said that now, more than ever, financial support for regional airports like Kerry Airport was critical.

"In the years ahead, as we plot out the recovery from the devastating impact of the Coronavirus, Kerry Airport will be absolutely pivotal for business, tourism and the wider Kerry economy. By offering critical transport links with Dublin, London, Manchester and continental Europe, the airport provides us with an essential conduit to the UK and the rest of Europe which will be hugely important as transport services begin to return to normal," Cllr Kelleher said.

"The funding base provided through the Public Service Obligation (PSO) will be critical in continuing to underpin the role that the airport at Farranfore plays in providing transport linkages for the county."

Chief Executive Moira Murrell said that connectivity will be crucial for a county like Kerry in the coming years.

"Air transport links with the regions will be more essential than ever before in the years ahead. Kerry Airport has expanded its services in recent years with new connections to Berlin and Manchester and that ambition needs to be underpinned by continuing support into the future.

"As well as the benefits for tourism locally, the airport provides a vital link for the business sector in the county and for the companies with an international reach which employ so many people locally," she said.