As IAG was reported to be preparing a third and final bid for Aer Lingus , Limerick TD, Kieran O’Donnell (FG), has expressed his concern that Shannon’s Heathrow routes be preserved, and has confirmed that he will be raising the issue in the Dail this week.
“This is a matter of absolute importance to me”, said Deputy O’Donnell. “This is critical for Shannon, Limerick and the entire region in terms of gateway connectivity and jobs.
“The government must ensure that the State’s 25.1 per cent strategic shareholding in Aer Lingus is used to preserve the most strategic of all air connections, the Heathrow slots.
“All the great work that has been done in strengthening Shannon airport would be undermined were the Heathrow slots to come under any threat in an impending deal for Aer Lingus,” he said.
“Shannon’s independence has been successful, with passenger numbers through the airport increasing very strongly since the government made it independent. In 2007, the Shannon slots were redeployed by Aer Lingus for the Belfast routes, and heralded a period of decline in Shannon that has only been halted recently. This shows the crucial importance of these slots for Shannon airport.
“I hold my views on this issue very strongly, and I am raising this in the Dail chamber this week.
“We have worked very hard here in Limerick to bring in investment and create jobs. Air connectivity is one of the key elements in this. Heathrow is the most important hub in the world, and the government’s strategic shareholding must be used to ensure that Aer Lingus’s slots are used for the strategic benefit of Irish regions. This underpins Shannon’s broader role as an economic generator in the Mid-West region, and means that Shannon is the only airport on the Western Seaboard with a direct Heathrow connection.
“These slots are absolutely critical for Shannon, Limerick and the Mid-West as they allow us to connect directly with Heathrow and from there, all of the major financial and investment centres in the world.
“Aer Lingus’s slots in Heathrow are a unique national asset from which we in the Mid-West derive some really crucial benefits. These assets must be preserved for the people.
