Andrew Carey
BUSINESS travel to the UK from Shannon is set to double following the announcement by Aer Lingus of their expanded seat capacity plans for its regional division.
In a collective welcome, the Chambers of Ennis, Galway, Limerick and Shannon, on behalf of their 1,355 members with a combined employment level of 45,700, welcome the greatly expanded seat capacity to the UK announced by Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Aer Arann.
In a statement issued by their presidents “UK cities, particularly Manchester and Birmingham, have always ranked highly as frequented destinations by the business community on the west coast, with many using both Shannon and Dublin airports as access points, driven by their frequency and timing requirements.
“This doubling of capacity on both of these routes is a most welcome development and will make choosing Shannon Airport for business travel to these cities all the more appealing. We anticipate great demand for both routes from summer 2014 when the additional capacity comes on stream.
“The addition of Bristol, within easy commuting distances to the hallowed rugby pitches of Wales and the south west of England, will be welcomed by Munster and Connaught fans and by their opponents wishing to attend away fixtures. We expect this route to be an exceptionally popular one as it opens up so many additional linkages to the UK, at a business and tourism level, and will encourage both long and short-stay traffic in both directions. Its addition, from a cultural perspective, is most timely given Limerick’s accreditation as the National City of Culture 2014.
“The payback from the abolition of the 10% travel tax is now clearly evident. The Chambers, once again, congratulate the government for responding to the very strong demand for its removal.”
The move has also been welcomed by the wider business community including the local branches of the Irish Hotel Federation who say the new routes will widen the catchment area for UK tourists to visit Ireland.
