Brennan defends airport plan

TRANSPORT Minister Seamus Brennan yesterday dismissed concerns about the break-up of Aer Rianta following the leaking of more details of a damning report into the future of the company.

A PricewaterhouseCooper (PWC) report said Aer Rianta will lose €400 million by 2006 and Shannon Airport will continue to make losses until 2006, even if its debt is transferred to Dublin Airport as proposed.

However, speaking in Shannon yesterday, Mr Brennan said: “We can trade figures on this decision until we are blue in the face, but at the end of the day all they are is projections. This is a strategic Government decision which I think is the right one for Shannon and Cork airports.”

He said it was a choice between Shannon and Cork being autonomous airports with strong boards or remaining part of a national monopoly dominated by Dublin.

The airports are far better off competing with each other, developing their own businesses and taking a view to grow their markets,” he said.

Speaking after unveiling a new €100m road into Shannon, Mr Brennan said: “If you take out the debt and you include the subsidiaries, which are not included in the analysis by PWC, you do get a profitable situation for Shannon and Cork.”

Talks aimed at resolving tensions over the plans to break up Aer Rianta got off to the worst possible start yesterday after the Department of Transport refused to give unions a copy of the PWC report.

SIPTU’s national industrial secretary Michael Halpenny said: “At this stage it’s getting to be a bit of a joke. If the Government is committed to meaningful and substantive talks they have to show that. If not there will inevitably be consequences,” he said.

However, the row looks set to worsen as the Department of Transport last night indicated the report may never be given to the unions if Aer Rianta does not agree to the disclosure of sensitive business figures.

“The minister has no objection to the decision being made to give the unions the report once Aer Rianta has no problem with it,” said a spokesman for Mr Brennan.

“You can’t go publishing figures that have been given in confidence.”

Meanwhile, Aer Lingus cabin crew yesterday suspended a work-to-rule following talks between management and the IMPACT trade union.

Both parties had been locked in a dispute over quicker turnaround times for aircraft resulting in strike action for one day last month. IMPACT said it had now secured firm guarantees on cabin crews’ main concerns.