The Western Development Commission (WDC) . . . a statutory body set up to promote economic and social development in the region . . . has decided to invest 1m in the project, which is expected to get underway early next year. This brings to 2.3m the WDC's total investment in the airport, now officially known as Ireland West Airport Knock (IWAK) since December 2003.

"The WDC sees the development of international air access and ancillary facilities such as the business park at Ireland West Airport Knock as having the potential to be a major catalyst for regional development in the heart of Connacht, " said WDC chief executive Gillian Buckley. "The airport can deliver a major economic impact for the region, delivering jobs and tourists and well as improving people's quality of lives."

The 65-acre park, located on the N17 western corridor connecting Galway with Sligo, will offer a mix of office, commercial and light manufacturing facilities. Investors are promised attractive lease terms, bespoke turnkey facilities and the option to design and build on a fully serviced site.

The business park aims to facilitate airport-related industries including aviation services training and high technology manufacturing such as office equipment and consumer electronics.

IWAK will also aim to attract distribution and freight forwarding services and internationally traded services.

IWAK managing director Liam Scollan is confident the commercial advantages of locating adjacent to a modern expanding airport facility will attract a variety of business enterprises to the rural Mayo location.

"We view the new business park as another aspect of the airport's role in stimulating the development of the western region. Growing numbers of international routes from the airport means that we can now provide a location for businesses that require fast international travel for executives and speedy, reliable delivery of light goods.

"We have spoken with Mayo County Council, the IDA and Enterprise Ireland and believe we can complement their objectives in the development of enterprise and a sustainable future for the area. We see the development as presenting a major opportunity for investors and businesses who want to become part of a rapidly expanding airport and enterprise location. The Western Development Commission's Look West campaign has very successfully highlighted the advantages of moving west to live and work. Equally, the relocation of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to the airport area has highlighted just what an attractive place this is.

The creation of the airport business park is moving with this trend."

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O Cuiv, whose department sanctioned the funding, is confident the new business park can boost the airport's profile as well as increase employment in the region.

"There has been some private commercial development in the environs of the Ireland West Airport Knock in recent years and just last month OPW selected the preferred tenderer for the construction of the new HQ building for my department at the airport.

"I believe that the development of this and other activities will support and enhance the offering at IWAK and will be a significant source of income over time to the airport. It also has the potential to be major centre of employment in the heart of the western region, " he said.

With 42% growth in 2005, IWAK can claim to be the fastest growing airport in the country. In the past three years, passenger numbers have grown from 200,000 a year to 530,000 in 2005, an increase of 165%. The charter business has increased 400% in the same period.

The airport forecasts that passenger numbers will increase further over the next four years, growing to over one million annually by 2009.

Employment at the airport has grown from 56 in 2002 to 117 in 2005 and projected to increase to 149 by 2009.

"Our airport's success is very much linked to the region's success and most especially to our 1.34bn tourism industry. Last year, IWAK, in partnership with our airlines and the tourism agencies, was responsible for bringing an estimated 310,000 overseas tourists into the region. In broad terms, this represents a quarter of all the overseas tourists who visited the western region in 2005, " Scollan said.