Madam, - Emmet Oliver's interview with Noel Hanlon (Business This Week, October 1st) was a frightening exposé of all that is wrong with the running of State bodies. Air Rianta purports to be a commercial enterprise but its former chairman seems to believe it was his personal fiefdom.
Like it or not, the elected Government, with the support of the Oireachtas, legislated for change and in my view it was his duty to do everything possible to implement that change properly. Instead he attempted to frustrate the Government's policy every step of the way.
Equally astonishing is his attack on Ryanair and Aer Lingus, Aer Rianta's principal customers. Successful businesses in highly competitive markets are by their very nature uncomfortable to deal with. Being demanding is part of being successful.
Not only does Mr Hanlon feel free to castigate his shareholder and his most important customers, he has ignored the needs of his end-user customers, the travelling public. During his 10-year tenure Aer Rianta has allowed Dublin Airport to become one of the worst airports in Europe, prevented the proper commercial development of Cork Airport and failed to develop a competitive strategy for Shannon. After all this time to be still insisting on the Atlantic stop-over as a means of keeping Shannon viable is pathetic.
As to the question of the watches, words fail me. - Yours, etc.,
P. J. CARROLL,
Kinsale,
Co Cork.