Ground control to Mr Brennan: what’s the real airports agenda?
While the rationale for this is unclear, the main reason given is that the present company gives too much attention to Dublin at the expense of Cork and Shannon. The suggestion is that Cork and Shannon would do better if they had their own companies.
A few years ago Aer Rianta was publicly acknowledged as our best state company "the jewel in the crown", as one minister called it.
Now it is proposed to break it up as part of some ill-conceived policy which, on the face of it, does not stand up to objective scrutiny. The plan is being presented in Cork and Shannon as giving greater autonomy to local management so that the two airports can be run more effectively.
True, Shannon has lost out because of the loosening of the transatlantic stopover regulation, but this had become counter-productive and, in any case, the airport showed itself capable of increasing passenger flow without it. For its part, Cork has proved to be one of the most successful airports of its size in Europe.
It seems inevitable that if the plan goes ahead, Cork and Shannon airports will be sold off to some local financier or other grouping or, worse still, to some foreign interests.
If, on the other hand, Aer Rianta is considered not to be running Cork or Shannon properly, and not giving them sufficient resources, would it not be much easier for Transport Minister Seamus Brennan to replace the board and allow the professionals working with the company to get on with the job?
John A Power,
7, Arran Road,
Dublin 9.
