Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus say they can’t commit to reopening their Shannon bases in 2021 unless restrictions on travel are eased.
The move casts further doubt on the future long term viability of the MidWest Airport as the airlines have appeared at the Oireachtas Transport Committee.
The CEO’s of Ryanair and Aer Lingus have both appeared at the Oireachtas Transport Committee this lunchtime, where they’ve faced questioning on the future of air travel in Ireland – particularly at Shannon and Cork.
Ryanair had already announced the closure of their Shannon winter base earlier this month.
However, this afternoon, CEO Eddie Wilson told the Committee that no Ryanair flights will arrive or depart the airport between the 4th of November and the 12th of December.
Calling for the EU’s traffic light system to be urgently implemented by the government, Mr Wilson also cast doubt on their Shannon base returning at all.
It’s understood that the government is aiming to adopt the proposed EU-wide system by the 8th of November.
Aer Lingus have echoed Ryanair’s call for the easing of restrictions on air travel in Ireland, citing antigen testing at airports as a potential solution to the problem.
The committee was told yesterday that a common testing regime for European states could be ready within weeks.
Earlier this month, the airline admitted its future at Shannon airport remained ‘under review’ – today, Interim CEO Donal Moriarty told the Committee it’s now ‘too late’ to restore its Shannon to Heathrow route by the end of this year.
Instead, they are planning on restoring it, along with a number of its transatlantic routes, to its summer 2021 schedule.
Mr Moriarty, however, says this is dependent on what restrictions are in place at that time.
The news will come as a further blow to the Shannon Group, who have previously said they are losing €1.3m in revenue per week since the onset of the pandemic.
The Group’s CEO, Mary Considine, will appear in front of the Committee later this afternoon, along with representatives from the Dublin Airport Authority.
