Sharp fall in traffic at airports puts independence plans under threat

AIR traffic at Shannon and Cork has fallen sharply in recent months amid an economic downturn which is threatening to undermine Government plans to grant both airports independence from the Dublin Airport Authority.

Figures from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) show that commercial air traffic movements fell by 11.4% at Shannon last month and by 8.3% at Cork compared to October 2007.

The decline is part of a trend that has seen commercial airline movements fall 7.5% at Shannon and 2.5% at Cork since January.