Transport Department denies deal to drop Shannon stopover

THE Department of Transport rejected claims yesterday that they had negotiated a deal to drop the Shannon stopover in return for securing four new routes for Aer Lingus in the United States.

Transport sources insisted yesterday that the deal had been completed and would be presented to the EU Transport Ministers meeting in Brussels next June.

But Transport Minister Seamus Brennan’s spokesman rejected this claim yesterday and said it would not be up to Ireland to negotiate any separate deal with the US aviation authorities.