Shannon Airport will ‘risk closure’

Leo Varadkar, the transport minister, was warned last night that if he hands the running of Shannon Airport over to local interests, “the airport could be facing closure in a short few years from now”.

That is according to Fianna Fáil transport spokesman Timmy Dooley, who said the option in the Booz & Company report of allowing Shannon Airport be run by a “local authority holding entity”, which could include Clare and Limerick county councils and possibly Shannon Development, should not take place.

“This would be hugely damaging,” Mr Dooley said. “According to Booz, the new airport model will also be based upon developing the land bank at the airport and developing cargo along with passenger traffic.”