Brennan pledges to secure Shannon’s viability

TRANSPORT Minister Séamus Brennan yesterday pledged to secure a deal that will guarantee Shannon Airport’s future viability when the compulsory stopover comes to an end.

Mr Brennan would not reveal when the stopover will end because he said this was part of sensitive negotiations currently underway between the US and the European Commission.

But Mr Brennan insisted the Government will not sign any deal that will not guarantee the current level of business at Shannon Airport.

Mr Brennan gave the commitment at the launch of the €10 million Air Atlanta aero engineering facility at Shannon Airport.

“Air Atlanta’s investment is a vote of confidence in the Shannon region,” Mr Brennan said.

Mr Brennan said this is a time of major change in the aviation industry and it should be managed rather than feared.

The current bi-lateral agreement between Ireland and the US guarantees Shannon has the same number of transatlantic flights passing through as Dublin.

But this stopover deal is due to come to an end when a new US/EU aviation agreement opening up all air routes is signed.

Mr Brennan said the Government is currently negotiating a package that will give the new independent Shannon Airport authority sufficient breathing space to secure the future of the airport.

And the deal could include securing a guarantee that Aer Lingus would have at least one daily transatlantic flight from Shannon; the development of the airport as the European air cargo hub, and increasing our transatlantic routes from five to 15.

But SIGNAL, the Shannon lobby group has predicted that the loss of the stop over will cost the airport 7,000 passengers a year.

“Shannon would need five million European passengers to compensate for that because they spend much less than the transatlantic passengers,” SIGNAL spokesman Tony Kenny said.

The new Air Atlanta aircraft maintenance facility opened by Mr Brennan yesterday currently employs 160 and has been acquired from UPS by the Icelandic Air Atlanta Aviation group.

Icelandic Transport Minister Sturla Bodvarsson also attended the opening.

The company’s managing director John O’Loughlin said they will be taking on 60 new workers over the next two years.

Mr Brennan also turned the sod on the new €190 million Ennis by-pass yesterday.

He said it will be a vital link in the Western Corridor motorway plan from Tuam in Co Galway to Limerick city.

The new by-pass will remove 14,000 vehicles from the town centre, rising to 35,000 in 20 years.