Shipping market embarks on airline challenge

THE latest figures released by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) show that Ireland’s shipping passenger market is continuing to peg back market share from the low-cost airline market.

The IMDO has estimated that the total shipping passenger market rose by 5% over the first half of this year on a like-for-like basis — actual passenger figures up from €.39 million at the halfway stage of 2006 to 1.46m by the same stage this year.

“The latest mid-year reports continue to underline the important role that Irish ports and shipping sectors play as facilitators of economic growth, efficiency and competition.