Shannon concern after website error

FEARS that Aer Lingus might downsize its Shannon transatlantic service persisted last night after a website mix-up.

A press release issued a year ago was mistaken as an announcement for the 2008/2009 winter schedule.

This committed the airline to daily direct flights from Shannon to Boston and New York, and daily flights to Chicago via Dublin.

However a spokeswoman for Aer Lingus said their winter schedule for 2008/2009 was not yet finalised and would be published in the next few weeks.

Ominously she said it was subject to change.

Aer Lingus is taking online bookings from Shannon to the US up to January 14, 2009.

Following the Aer Lingus decision to drop its Shannon Heathrow service and transfer it to Belfast there has been concern the airline might chop some of its flights out of Shannon and transfer them to Dublin.

Under the Open Skies agreement Aer Lingus will be able to open up transatlantic routes to new US destinations and there are fears that the airline will decide to operate these routes from Dublin due to the volume of business they would be able to access from Dublin.