Minister to be briefed in city on Friday
IT’S not an end game for Shannon, Minister Leo Varadkar, will be told when he comes face-to-face with airport chiefs, business people, tourism figures and other interested parties from the region at a crucial meeting in the city on this Friday. A leading Limerick businessman with strong connections to Shannon Airport, has told the Limerick Post that a united plea will be made to erase the burden of the €100m book debt, to free it from the shackles of Dublin Airport Authority and put a strategy in place to protect the airport’s future.
He revealed that Shannon incurred a deficit of €8m last year, mainly because of huge interest payments on its outstanding debt.
“It must be impressed on the minister that Shannon, with a proper management structure in place, is capable of lifting itself out of its present predicament.
“When the Open Skies was introduced a few years ago, Shannon was promised €15m over a given period to promote itself.
“It received an initial €3m and the balance was withdrawn.
“The advent of the Open Skies,” he stressed, resulted in Shannon being relegated in status.
“I know from personal experience that Americans wishing to come to Ireland on either holidays or business, are offered one choice – and that is to fly to Dublin,” added the Limerick Post source.
He continued: “Meetings have been held locally in advance of Minister Varadkar’s visit and we are adamant that the region must unite in pressing home the case for Shannon”.
The source said It would be too late to attract new services into Shannon for the remainder of 2012, adding “we must adopt a positive approach and think ahead to 2013 and beyond.
“Deals can be entered into with airlines. However, to progress and strike the best possible results, it is
imperative that the huge debt is lifted off the shoulders of Shannon and that it becomes an independent entity. “With the minister in town, we now have the chance to band together, put all issues before him and rekindle the spirit engendered by former airport manager, Liam Skelly.
“Unfortunately, we have no champion in Dublin to fight our corner – it is up to those in attendance on Friday to impress on the minister the seriousness of the situation. “We all have an affinity with Shannon, and it is in the region’s interest that it be protected”.
