Walsh expects US visits take-off

AER Lingus could double the number of US visitors coming to Ireland to two million if restrictions preventing the airline from flying to US destinations were lifted.

Aer Lingus chief executive Willie Walsh, who was speaking at the IMI National Management Conference in the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney, said that he was of the opinion the discussion on bilateral trans-Atlantic route agreement between the US, and Ireland has been wrongly focussed on the Shannon stopover which he believes will come to an end sooner rather than later.

Mr Walsh said Irish-based airlines are restricted to just four US gateways, under the US/Ireland Bilateral Agreement.