BUSINESS plans to establish Cork and Shannon as independent airports have finally been sent to the Government for approval, it was confirmed yesterday.

THE latest development whereby the board of Cork Airport Authority (CAA) has been ostracised from having any influence whatsoever in the extent of the debt it is to be burdened with is very serious and sinister.

THE Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) has proposed increasing Dublin Airport charges for airlines by up to 40% per passenger.

CORK City Council last night called on Taoiseach Bertie Ahern personally to intervene in the row over the €160 million debt for Cork Airport’s new terminal.

The Government has said it intends to separate Shannon Airport from the Dublin Airport Authority on December 31.

Around 100 Ryanair passengers have missed flights out of Dublin airport because of what the company says is unofficial strike action by security staff.

At present, each terminal has its own taxi stand, but they are calling for just one to serve both terminals.

JUST as Transport Minister Leo Varadkar prevailed in his row with the Dublin Airport Authority over bonuses paid to the DAA chief, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has asserted the Government’s authority in a spat with Horse Racing Ireland over bonuses totalling €37,550 paid to chief executive Brian Kavanagh.

Aer Rianta International have been awarded a seven-year retail contract with JSC Terminal, the authority responsible for developing the new Terminal 3 at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.

Air passengers here and in the UK are being reassured that travel services are returning to normal this Christmas Eve.

Up to 450 airport workers were facing redundancy tonight after union members agreed to a breakthrough €40m cost-cutting plan.

Dublin and Cork Airports have committed to becoming net zero for their carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest.

SHANNON Airport Authority “should 100% receive” the €3.5 million Ryanair paid to the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) for breach of the five-year contract with Shannon Airport on passenger charges.

FIANNA Fáil are “scumbags” according to Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary and there’s no way he’ll be voting for them.

THE much criticised air travel tax is to be slashed from €10 to €3 per passenger in a bid to boost ailing tourism numbers.

PASSENGER volume at Cork Airport is likely to be the same at the end of this year as it was in 2005, before the new terminal opened.

The Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has stated that new government legislation provides a mechanism for Cork Airport to become independent.