US airline pulls additional summer Shannon flights

Shannon Airport is set for another blow this summer, after confirmation United Airlines will not operate additional services from the Mid-West to the US.

Previously, Continental Airlines, now merged with United Airlines, provided additional flights to the airline’s New York hub at Newark. The airline has confirmed it will not do so this year.

The news follows an announcement from Aer Lingus that it will reduce services on its Shannon to New York route this summer from four to just three flights a week.

A spokeswoman for United Airlines said: “Fleet operational requirements mean that United will operate a single daily non-stop service to New York this summer, rather than two daily flights as in recent years.”

An airport spokesman said: “Shannon is looking forward to a strong transatlantic summer season despite the unavoidable withdrawal of four weekly Continental flights to Newark from June through to August due to the airline’s maintenance schedule.

“The extra service, which operated successfully last year and is expected to return in 2013 on each of the four days, was on top of the airline’s extremely popular daily service which runs year-round from Shannon to Newark.”

Meanwhile, when Aer Lingus resume operations on the North Atlantic route from Shannon next month after winter suspension, the airline will operate four days a week to New York’s JFK.

However, this will be reduced to just three days weekly for the summer.

The company has one long-haul aircraft based at Shannon which means it can only operate seven services a week, so the more popular Boston route will benefit at the expense of the New York service.