RYANAIR has announced that it has taken on Edelman as its external public relations/media communications adviser, after what it called “a very competitive tender process”.

THE Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) yesterday confirmed that Shannon Airport’s head of finance and corporate affairs, Mary Considine is to assume the role of airport director next month.

THE chairman of the Shannon Airport Authority Brian O’Connell confirmed Shannon is abandoning its low-cost model, stating that it is unsustainable.

EFFORTS by Shannon Airport to secure a replacement airline to take over the successful Shannon to Paris route, which will be axed by Ryanair in November, have been dealt a severe blow with two more operators confirming they have no plans to take up the service.

SIPTU has told Aer Lingus it will have to bear any costs to the union’s members if the company’s 2008 “leave and return” scheme is found to be flawed.

SHANNON Airport Authority chairman Brian O’Connell is set to make his first comprehensive public statement on the future of the airport today.

THE future of Shannon Airport as a Ryanair base is in serious doubt with analysts predicting it could follow the same fate as Belfast City airport.

THE Government’s take from the controversial air travel tax has fallen 20% on last summer’s figures.

RYANAIR has slammed new travel charge increases at Shannon which the airline claims will further erode its passenger figures.

LABOUR leader Eamon Gilmore insisted yesterday the huge decline in passenger numbers at Shannon will not be tackled by just transferring management of the airport from the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) to the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA).

TROUBLED Shannon Airport was delivered another hammer blow yesterday with Ryanair dropping more flights, reducing its destinations by 21% to six from a high of 35 two years ago.

The group of unions at Aer Lingus and Dublin Airport Authority have warned that their members will begin industrial action if no progress is made on their troubled pension scheme by Sept 20.

Talks were continuing late last night between the Dublin Airport Authority and taxi unions to try to avert a third day of disruption for thousands of airline passengers.

Talks were continuing late last night between the Dublin Airport Authority and taxi unions to try to avert a third day of disruption for thousands of airline passengers.

Passengers at Dublin Airport faced traffic chaos yesterday after taxi drivers took strike action in a row over a reduced number of parking spaces for their vehicles.

Taxi driver representatives have expressed “cautious optimism” they can reach a permanent settlement over the next few days with the Dublin Airport Authority to end a row over taxi spaces in a temporary overflow area.

The Government has urged management and staff at the Dublin Airport Authority and Aer Lingus workers to make sacrifices, compromise, and negotiate in order to prevent industrial action which could cause chaos for thousands of air travellers at the end of next month.

Aer Lingus has written to its shareholders to rubbish claims it may be forced to stump up €200m to shore up workers’ pension entitlements.

Monday’s disruptive airport stoppages may have been averted, but there is little optimism that talks at the Labour Relations Commission can resolve the two-year old pension dispute at Aer Lingus and Dublin Airport Authority.

Siptu will this morning decide whether to call off the industrial action which could close the country’s airports next Monday and accept an invitation for talks with employers at the Labour Relations Commission.