Varadkar: Shannon could be run by private operator

THE Government is considering the option of handing over the running of loss-making Shannon Airport to a private operator in a concession arrangement, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar revealed yesterday.

Mr Varadkar said that as discussions with various groups continue about the future of Shannon and Cork airports, there was a particular difficulty with Shannon, which will lose around €8 million this year.

“In the past that was OK as the profits at Dublin (airport) would cover them,” he said. “Dublin is not making any money either, so we do need to ensure that Shannon is sustainable in its own right and turn it from what it is now, a liability for the DAA, into an asset for the country and the region.”