THE MAYOR of Shannon has called on Aer Lingus to pull some of their flights from Cork and Dublin airports to help boost Shannon Airport which is reeling from the loss of its Heathrow flights.

A CHARTER aircraft with 148 passengers and crew came close to landing at a private, unlicensed airfield outside Belfast instead of at Aldergrove airport last July, it has emerged.

A GOVERNMENT think-tank yesterday cast doubts on the proposed break-up of Aer Rianta and warned the plan could leave Shannon and Cork airports in financial trouble.

THERE were no ‘Yankee Go Home’ signs on display in Belfast last night, but the welcome was far from warm for US President George W Bush as he touched down for his first visit to Ireland.