Department denies ‘writing off’ airport stopover

THE DEPARTMENT of Transport last night denied suggestions that it did not consider the Shannon stopover as crucial to the future of Irish aviation.

With talks due to get under way between the Government, US and EU officials on the liberalisation of transatlantic routes, fears are increasing in the West that the future of the Shannon stopover has already been written off by the Government.

Those fears were exacerbated yesterday after the Goldman Sachs report into future funding options for Aer Lingus indicated the Shannon stopover agreement with the US was not among the Government’s top aviation priorities.