TO SOME it's a pie-in-the-sky idea but a number of businessmen from Ireland and abroad are pursuing a plan to build a airport in Tubber, Co Offaly. Yes, Tubber, Co Offaly.

The consortium is being fronted by Dublin-born architect Patrick Little, who lives and works in the area, which forms part of Brian Cowen's hinterland. Midland Airports Development - backers unknown - has filed a request with An Bord Pleanála to have its planning application fast-tracked as a piece of strategic infrastructure.

If knocked back, Little and co will have to go through the usual hoops, starting with Offaly County Council.

Little, who runs Axis Architecture in Offaly, told me that he'd like to be open for 2012 but accepts this is a "tight deadline". The airport would cost about €150 million to build and be capable of handling large jets.

It has already been in the pipeline for more than four years and the group has plans to acquire 1,800 acres of mostly farmland.

He forecasts a "modest" 300,000 passengers in year one, rising to two million by 2020. It's a blue sky forecast given the current economic backdrop, the fact that Dublin airport is leaking passengers and that most other airports here - notably Shannon - find it hard to turn a buck.

Little is unfazed. "There's a downward spike in the aviation industry at the moment but these things go in cycles," he told me.

He said "preliminary" talks have been held with Aer Lingus and Ryanair but not with Aer Arann.

It has hired Manchester-based RDG Solutions to advise on route development.

It has also run the idea by the Irish Aviation Authority.

Needless to say, there are more than a few in the aviation industry who view the project with a large degree of scepticism.

"It's projects that are slightly outside the box that we need to be looking at right now," he said.

"I'm fairly confident that it's a viable proposition. I'm not too worried about the naysayers . . . there will be plenty of them out there."