A Shannon Airport executive this week took a swipe at Michael O’Leary and Ryanair, claiming the departure of the budget airline could be a good thing. Said Declan Power, aviation business development manager: “We had this swashbuckling young fella who came in and swept us off our feet and took us to Barcelona and Milan. “Suddenly, we realised that we were spending money and as soon as our money ran out, he ran out too”.
Mr Power, who likened the attention surrounding Shannon Airport to a soap opera, added: “Politicians say Shannon should give everything away for free, but we’ve an airport to run.
“We had a Ryanair base. We had 32 destinations with Ryanair, 22 of them were to Europe and 80% were outbound.
“They weren’t really getting the tourists in.
“We don’t have a dominant character any more frightening off other airlines who had expressed interest”.
He told a conference that Shannon Airport is a business and not responsible for filling beds.
On Ryanair’s new routes into Knock, he told the Limerick Post:
“The more access into the West the better.
“If more access goes into Dublin the country will tip over on its side and end up in the Irish Sea.
“Knock is getting grants from the government; It’s an unusual industry when private airports get state funding but State airports don’t.
“It doesn’t mean a death for Shannon; we have a long history and can have a share of all markets.
“We earn more money from Irish people going abroad than we do from tourists.
“Holidaymakers are highly seasonal, so if we’re promoting tourism to an airline, they don’t want to know about it.
“We need to satisfy the business demands of companies in the region and the Irish leisure travel market, like those who have homes in Alicante and Malaga”.
He said that 60% of holidaymakers spent time in the West, despite no direct access.
“Mr Mueller, in Aer Lingus, if your business wants to come here why don’t you fly here and let the other 40% drive back to Dublin?”.
He said talks had been held with Dutch airline KLM.
“The more negativity that’s out there the more is picked up by customers and airlines.
“I was trying to make a sales pitch to an airline recently and they held up a picture of the grim reaper outside the airport.
“We need to talk it up or we might as well shut up shop and go home”.
