“The airport is a terminally ill patient at this point.”
THE deserted terminals in Shannon last week, due to the presence of volcanic ash in Irish airspace indicates what the future could hold for the airport,
This is the view of Shannon’s mayor, Cllr Sean McLoughlin, who is also an airport taxi driver. “I left the airport after the last transatlantic flight landed on Thursday morning, April 15 and there was no work for us for a full week after that,’ he said.
“This has been an incredibly bad week on top of two bad years. I’d say this year will be a complete right off for taxi drivers, because we have to look ahead to the following year financially.
He said that the past week had provided an insight into what would happen if the airport were to close completely.
“Thing’s are bad enough on an average day when there are only eight or nine flights arriving and departing and I’m seriously worried about the airport’s future”.
Pointing out that last week’s disruption at the airport had not only impacted on air passengers but on those who work at the airport and rely on a day to day wage, Mayor McLoughlin said:
“People don’t realise how the situation affected those with no regular income, like taxi drivers, car hire company owners and shop owners, as well as catering management.
“Shannon Airport Authority is also losing out on landing fees at a time when they can scarcely afford to.
“I understand that safety had to come first but Shannon is a terminally ill patient at this point. We need to get rid of the DAA who are prioritising Dublin for funding and resources”.
The mayor called on SAA board members to meet with the Shannon Town Council last January to discuss the “haemorrhaging of services” at Shannon, but said as of yet they had failed to do so.
He also said that the local authority was informed by Airport Director Martin Moroney in mid-February that neither he nor Brian O’Connell, the recently appointed SAA Chairman, were in a position to meet with town councillors in relation to the loss of Ryanair services.
“The SAA needs to adopt a more visible and proactive approach to addressing the issues that effect the airport’s very survival.”.
Calling on the Department of Transport to investigate the possibility of handing shared responsibility for the airport’s management to Shannon Development, he said:
“While full autonomy for Shannon Airport might not be feasible at the present time, as the financial structures are not yet in place to support such a move, it would be feasible to suggest that management of the airport could be shared equally by Shannon Development and the SAA.
“Shannon Development’s background in promoting tourism in and attracting new business to the region would complement the expertise that has been built up by the current management team at Shannon Airport.”
“Every effort must be made to ensure that Shannon Airport’s viability is not dependent solely on income generated from the US Military’s use of the facility.
“I look forward to hearing what the new Chairman of the Airport Authority has in mind for developing new business at the airport.”.
