'Future of transatlantic and Heathrow routes from Shannon must be priority'

LIMERICK TD Kieran O’Donnell has written to Aer Lingus, the Shannon group and the Transport Minister Eamon Ryan in a bid to secure the flag cariers’ future at the airport.

There are fears the airline could close its base at Limerick’s local airport after the Covid-19 lockdown saw air travel passenger numbers fall off a cliff.

But the Fine Gael TD says having routes from Shannon across to Heathrow and the USA is “critical to business and tourism in the region.”

He was speaking following speculation that a number of British regional airports are seeking to have Aer Lingus aircraft transferred to their bases.

“I have written to and requested that Aer Lingus, Shannon Group and Department of Transport actively engage to secure the future of these Aer Lingus Shannon Transatlantic and Heathrow routes as well as their resumption as quickly as possible, public health advice permitting,” Mr O’Donnell added.

Clare Fianna Fail TD Cathal Crowe said Shannon is “Ireland’s most exposed airport in terms of damage inflicted to the aviation sector by Covid-19”.

He urged Aer Lingus management to make a statement on its future at the base/

“All efforts must now be made to get the Heathrow flight, above all others, operational again. This offers quality connectivity to the UK and in turn to continental Europe and beyond and will be key to getting Shannon Airport back on its feet,” Mr Crowe said.

“If you had told us at the turn of the New Year that we would be pleading for just one route to be back up and running at Shannon, we would scarcely believe it. The shoulder must be put to the wheel now to get this in place and I’m calling on management at Aer Lingus to issue clarity so these efforts can be focused accordingly,” he added.