Shannon Airport could serve as Amazon hub — Tánaiste 

Varadkar suggested linkup to online retailer — but dismissed the idea of Defence Forces selling Baldonnel aerodrome 

Leo Varadkar says he suggested in 'conversations' with Amazon that the global retail giant should look at creating a hub at one of Ireland's airports such as Shannon. Picture: Eamon Ward

The Tánaiste has suggested to Amazon that the company should look at using Shannon Airport for its supply chains.

Amazon's first Irish fulfilment facility is located next to the Irish military’s Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, but Mr Varadkar has ruled out the State selling off the airbase, and suggested in conversations with the retail giant to look at regional airports.

"One place I would like Amazon to take a look at though perhaps, is our other airports," Leo Varadkar said.

"A really underused piece of infrastructure in Shannon, for example. Knock and Cork are there too so, you know, if I was looking for them to go anywhere I'd be talking to them about Shannon rather than Baldonnel."

Major employer

Mr Varadkar agreed there was a "gap in the market in Shannon" and "like I say, I have conversations with Amazon and obviously these are commercial conversations."

"They've never shot me down, but obviously, their main issue in recent months has been around the fulfilment centre which I mentioned, the construction that was stopped, unfortunately, during the pandemic, and they'd hoped to get that ready for Christmas. I don't know if it will be now — that will be one of the aims and then again a major investment in data centres and a major employer in Ireland too."

It was suggested that the State could sell the aerodrome and move the Defence Forces into a different airport as other small nations have done with their armed services. However, Mr Varadkar completely rejected this idea.

'We'd like to keep Baldonnel' 

"I would think not. I think not," he said. "I would have to talk to Simon Coveney, he's the Minister of Defence. 

"I suspect we'd like to keep this as the State aerodrome and not be sharing with anyone, whether it's DAA or Amazon."

The future of Shannon airport remains bleak as Aer Lingus announced two weeks ago that they will permanently close their base at Shannon, with the company citing an effort to reduce costs as the reason for the closure.

Aer Lingus has not been operating flights from Shannon since April 2020, when commercial aviation was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the company's employees have been on the pandemic unemployment payment ever since.

81 staff working as cabin crew for Aer Lingus in Shannon have been offered enhanced severance or a transfer to Dublin, while a further 45 ground staff will be laid off.