Airport sees passengers numbers rise by 15%

PASSENGER numbers at Shannon grew three times the rate of those at Dublin airport during the first quarter of 2006.

Shannon general manager Martin Moroney yesterday said the numbers were up 15% by the end of March, compared with 5% at Dublin. Last year Shannon posted record passenger figures of 3.3 million.

Mr Moroney was speaking at the launch a new daily Delta service to New York.

He said that with hard work Shannon can retain and expand its transatlantic service when Open Skies kicks in next November.

At present airlines operating transatlantic services have to provide one-for-one flights at Shannon and Dublin. This obligation will be lifted under Open Skies.

Mr Moroney said Shannon caters for more than 800,000 transatlantic passengers a year and, if this can be expanded, the airport will be seen by more people as an alternative to Dublin.

IBEC has expressed fears that if airlines shift their transatlantic schedules from Shannon to Dublin under open skies, it could prompt US-owned industries in the mid-west to move.

Mr Moroney said Shannon will investigate setting up an international internet hub connecting secondary airports in Europe with destinations in the US.

Mr Moroney said this could hook up passengers using Ryanair European destinations with the transatlantic carriers operating out of Shannon.

This, he said, would open up huge travel opportunities for people in the US wishing to travel to Europe and Europeans wishing to access the US without having to use congested hub airports such as Heathrow.

Mr Moroney said: “Shannon could become an internet connecting point which would give us much better chance of maintaining year-round transatlantic services.”

He said with the advent of open skies opportunities will have to be grasped and the airport must go forward confident it can add to existing transatlantic routes.

The Delta airlines service launched yesterday is a daily one from Dublin and Shannon to New York’s JFK Airport, adding to the year-round service the airline has to Atlanta.

Delta sales manager Siobhán Scanlon gave Shannon a big vote of confidence.

“We definitely believe there is business for us in the Shannon region and intend to remain in the Shannon region. We are putting on additional flights and would not be doing that if we did not have the demand. We will always serve Shannon year-round. So we see no change in that.”