Fresh Calls For Government Leaders To Attend Shannon Airport In Person Ahead Of Further Aer Lingus Discussions

© Pat Flynn

There are fresh calls for Government leaders to attend Shannon Airport in person ahead of further engagement with Aer Lingus cabin crew staff next week.

It comes as the Airport’s Operations Manager says he expects further Ryanair routes to be added to the Midwest facility in the coming months.

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Taoiseach Micheal Martin met virtually with a number of Shannon’s Aer Lingus cabin crew staff yesterday.

Four of the airline’s Midwest employees discussed the airline’s decision to permanently close its base here, in a discussion which is believed to have lasted around 90 minutes.

The Taoiseach has committed to further engagement in the days ahead with developments expected next week – it’s understood the Government is continuing communication with Aer Lingus about the move.

It’s understood a number of impacted staff have already taken the decision to take up the option of redeployment with the airline or a redundancy package on offer.

Clare Fianna Fail TD Cathal Crowe, who’s his party’s spokesperson on aviation, admits the issue is now ‘in stoppage time’ but is remaining optimistic.

Aer Lingus has yet to fly from Shannon since the onset of the pandemic, with its Heathrow routes understood to be resuming again in the autumn, and transatlantic travel in 2022.

The ongoing uncertainty has led to fresh calls, among them from Clare’s Independent TD, for the Taoiseach and the coalition party leaders to visit the airport in-person.

Scariff-based Deputy Michael McNamara claims not assessing the situation on the ground suggests Shannon isn’t being appropriately prioritised by Government.

Meanwhile, the Airport’s Operations Director says he expects further Ryanair routes at the facility will be announced in the coming months.

17 destinations through the airline will be available from Shannon in August, including new routes to Gran Canaria and the Greek island of Corfu.

A winter route to the Italian city of Turin will be launched from December.

Director of Operations Niall Maloney says he believes further Ryanair expansion will be announced within the year and possibly sooner.