A NEW NATIONAL aviation policy, which would mean airlines would be obliged to establish routes in regional airports such as Shannon, is one step closer.
TDs and senators from Limerick, Clare, Galway, and Tipperary have banded together to re-establish the cross-party Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group.
The ad-hoc group is being headed by Clare Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe, who told the Limerick Post that “all of the Limerick TDs and senators are on board with this.
“It’s not a committee with a restricted number of members and all of the representatives in the Mid West know how important it is to advance the interest of Shannon as an economic drier in the Mid West.”
The group’s aim is to advance the cause of Shannon Airport and policy areas that support and enhance it.
A priority of the Oireachtas group will be to seek continued state funding under the Regional Airports Programme and to support the development of new routes in commercial aviation and cargo traffic in and out of the airport.
In the coming weeks, the re-established group hopes to have an on-site meeting with Shannon Airport Group CEO Mary Considine and her management team.
The group’s aims are to keep on top of business and activities of Shannon Airport; to regularly meet with the chief executive, board members, and senior management of the of the Shannon Airport Group; to advocate for increased business and to lobby for policies that promote the aviation sector in Shannon, furthering the cause of Shannon Airport and promoting balanced regional development.
The recent power outage at Heathrow Airport, which caused widespread disruption to over 250,000 passengers, serves as a stark warning for Ireland’s aviation industry, Limerick Chamber has warned.
The Chamber further urged the government to decentralise air traffic and maximise the potential for underutilised regional, state-owned airports to strengthen national security and serve the needs of passengers.
Currently, Dublin Airport handles the vast majority of Ireland’s air traffic, accounting for 85 per cent of scheduled passengers in 2024.
“Not only is the concentration in Dublin a single point of failure, but it also fails to serve the needs of passengers” said Michelle Gallagher, CEO of Limerick Chamber.
“The reality is that nearly 40 per cent of visitors landing in Dublin want to go to the regions. The Heathrow outage has exposed the risks of over-centralisation in aviation.”
Ms Gallagher said that “airports have contingency plans, but national policy must ensure a resilient and balanced Irish aviation network.”
“Policymakers can mitigate the risks associated with over-centralisation and build a robust aviation market, which would enhance passenger convenience and economic development, but also provide a crucial safeguard against unforeseen disruptions.
“The renewed National Aviation Policy must ensure that Ireland’s connectivity is not concentrated at a single airport, but considers the needs for the country as a whole and supports balanced economic development and achieving our Climate Action targets.”
Limerick Chamber warns that failure to address the imbalance between Dublin and regional airports could expose Ireland to significant economic and security risks.
“This is not just an issue of economic and regional development; it’s a national security concern” said Seán Golden, chief economist and director of policy at Limerick Chamber.
“The current National Aviation Policy was published in 2015. Given the current tumultuous international environment, it is inappropriate to be running an industry on a policy from 10 years ago.”
The Chamber economist said that the government “must act now to build resilience and diversification in our aviation network before an
incident forces our hand”.
