News

Waterford Airport mourns passing of Chairman

Nicky Fewer

The directors, management and staff of Waterford Airport have expressed their sympathy to the family and friends of airport Chairman Nicky Fewer following his death today (Thurs).

Having previously served as a director since 1986, Mr Fewer chaired the airport board since 2002 and helped transform it to a key piece of regional infrastructure with a far brighter future than might have been expected when he took the helm.

Graham Doyle, Chief Executive, Waterford Airport said: “Nicky was a driving force behind Waterford Airport for many years – his incredible energy will be very greatly missed by us all.

“We saw firsthand his irrepressible passion for Waterford and the entire region and his huge personal commitment to so many aspects of the community. We won’t forget that passion as we continue to improve our airport, city and region over the coming years.

“On a personal level, I will always remember how bravely Nicky fought his illness, ploughed on and maintained his great sense of humour throughout. My thoughts and those of everyone at the airport are with Maria and Ian.”

On behalf of the board, Dan Browne, Deputy Chairman, Waterford added: “Nicky was responsible for guiding the airport through some real challenges and it is no exaggeration to say that his energy and drive were absolutely central to forging the partnership with Aer Arann that helped develop a wider range of passenger services and place the airport on a more solid footing.

“Under Nicky’s chairmanship passenger numbers at Waterford Airport grew from 26,000 in 2001 to 145,000 in 2008. His vision was to grow the airport to handle 500,000 passengers and to connect Waterford with European destinations and everyone involved in the airport will be working to make this vision a reality.

“He also led negotiations with Government at key points in the airport’s development and helped secure State funding for marketing and infrastructure investment as well as securing the long-term provision of Search and Rescue services from the Waterford base.

“A great friend who was always quick to highlight the fun in situations, Nicky will be sadly missed by all of us and we commiserate at this difficult time with Maria, Ian and the extended family.”

March 2009