Minister aims to create ‘new’ Shannon without delay

Such is the decline of Shannon Airport that Transport Minister Leo Varadkar wants to establish an independent airport, and not delay for a Government task force report, due by November.

Passenger traffic plummeted from 3.6m in 2007 to 1.6m last year, mainly due to the curtailment of Ryanair services.

The Government has decided to cut the airport free from the control of the Dublin Airport Authority, which will absorb Shannon Airport’s €100m debt.

Under the new regime, the airport and Shannon Development will be joined in a new body.

Mr Varadkar, following on the Government decision, set up a task force to report on the new structure.

However, he said yesterday he now intends to move on.

“The time frame that has been given to the task force is to report to the Government with detailed plans by November, but I don’t necessarily think we should wait that long,” he said.

“I’d like to see things happen as they can be done, and have everything concluded by the end of the year, because uncertainty is not helpful.”

Speaking at an Irish aviation conference at Dromoland Castle, Mr Varadkar said he was adding a sense of pace and urgency to the new structure, given the level of Shannon’s ongoing decline.

“This year things haven’t really picked up and what is important for everyone is to have certainty and to have decisions made and concluded this year. I think we need a clear roadmap, clear decisions and a clear picture this year and implantation right after that [with necessary legislation].”

The minister said the newly structured Shannon was a momentous first step for Irish aviation and would herald a new era for the Shannon region.

“We want to rekindle the pioneering spirit of the people in the region who gave us the airport, duty free shopping and the Shannon Free Zone concept so that we can move on to provide new exciting and innovative opportunities that will benefit business, tourism, job creation and the country overall.”

Mr Varadkar said the Government discussed last Tuesday Ryanair’s announcement to the stock market that it intends to make an offer to Aer Lingus shareholders of the share capital of the company and had decided to consider the offer with regard to three matters: What was best for the passengers in terms of connectivity and airfares; what was best for the taxpayer in terms of getting maximum value for the public shareholding; and in terms of EU and British competition law.