Shannon debate - Authorities deserve full autonomy

When an official of the Department of Transport first learnt on June 13 that Aer Lingus was considering the transfer to Belfast of all Shannon flights to Heathrow, he telephoned the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) to learn details of the Shannon-Heathrow service, such as the frequency of flights and how well they were doing commercially.

The feedback on the performance at that time was quite positive. Heathrow flights enjoyed 70% occupancy, and had improved in the past year following the withdrawal of two competing services offered by Easyjet and Ryanair.

The official explained that Aer Lingus was serious about pulling the Heathrow flights out of Shannon, but the DAA never informed its subsidiary, the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA). As a result the SAA only learnt of the plans when they were announced last August.