Impact of Ryanair decision now felt
RYANAIR passenger numbers through Shannon are projected to fall from almost two million last year, to an estimated 300,000 in 2010, following the axing of 16 routes from last weekend.
In 2009, the airline accounted for 60 per cent of passengers passing through. On Monday morning, the timetables for outgoing and incoming flights on monitor screens told a story of an airport in decline.
Only a handful of travellers were present in the departures terminal, with a total of just seven flights taking off in the 12 hour period 10am to 10pm
The arrivals schedule fared little better, with just nine flights due to land within a 14.5 hour time-frame.
And the airline has issued a warning that further destinations could be cut from their Shannon schedule.
Airport operators, such as car rental firms and taxis, have been badly hit.
Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara told the Limerick Post that each route comes under review on a quarterly basis, and if the remaining Shannon flights do not perform, they too, will be under threat.
“It’s not just the airport tax that has turned us away from Shannon, though it is a significant factor. We put a proposal to the airport with a revised contract for the next five years, suggesting reduced costs that would be more realistic, but it was rejected.
“A number of European airports are increasing their passenger traffic by reducing costs and scrapping tourist taxes, and we have to work with airports that are cost effective”.
With the airline having opened a new base in Norway this week, at Oslo Rygge, where they will station three aircraft and offer 27 routes, Limerick Chamber’s Maria Kelly, said that it is a tough time for Shannon to be looking for new airlines to come onboard.
“It’s extremely worrying to see Shannon fall from its peak of three million passengers.
“There are two things that could help Shannon to recover. The DAA’s suggestion of a passenger tax and the US borders and pre-clearance facility, which is a great selling point.
“I’d qualify the suggestion of the passenger tax, provided the government tax was scrapped. It would put Shannon in a better position to negotiate deals with airlines, being more cost effective, without putting an extra charge on passengers”.
She added that Tadhg Kearney, a chambers Ireland council member and former board member on Shannon Airport Authority, had suggested that a €15 passenger tax would be prohibitive, but a €5 or €10 charge would be more than sufficient.
Ms. Kelly said that she was hopeful Ryanair would reintroduce some of their abandoned routes in the future. However, Mr McNamara said that this was not a likelihood.
The Ryanair flights from Shannon that have ceased in past week are Murcia, Alicante, Birmingham, Bristol, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Carcassone, Faro, Lanazarote, Glasgow, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Krakow, Milan, Venice and Lodz.
