Shannon faces fewer British Airways and Kuwait stopovers

Shannon Airport is facing the loss of two stopovers following the news that Ryanair is cutting flights there next summer.

British Airways is cancelling one of two all-business-class services from London City Airport to New York-JFK that stop at Shannon for refuelling.

And a recent deal with Kuwait Airways, under which the Middle Eastern carrier stopped at the Irish airport to allow passenger and baggage screening, could end after next month.

The news comes after it emerged that Ryanair will not be renewing a number of services axed or reduced in winter 2016/2017 in next year’s summer schedule, cutting its traffic at Shannon from just under 800,000 passengers annually to 720,000.

The airline will renew its services between Shannon and Paris Beauvais and Memmigen in Germany next summer, while it will cut back on London Stansted and Manchester.

Earlier this year, it emerged that the airline was dropping the twice-weekly Paris service for the winter, and cutting back on Memmingen this summer.

It will increase the frequency of flights to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands next summer in anticipation of strong demand for traditional sun destinations and will maintain 14 routes from the Irish airport.

Shannon confirmed at the weekend that it would lose the British Airways and Kuwaiti stopovers.

Temporary solution

The airport pointed out that the Kuwait service was a temporary solution to Kuwait Airport security shortfalls and that slots for the stopover have been confirmed for October.

“We remain in conversation with the airline about successive months and will happily facilitate the service as long as we have it,” a statement said.

It added that all airlines had yet to finalise their summer 2017 schedules and that it remained in “ongoing conversations” in this regard.

The news indicates that recently appointed chief executive Matthew Thomas faces a challenge to grow business at the airport over the next year.

Passenger numbers are only likely to grow marginally there this year while, at this point, it looks as if there will be little or no increase in 2017.

Last year 1.71 million people travelled through the mid-western airport, compared with 1.64 million in 2014.

However, Shannon had 22 per cent growth between 2013 and 2014 as airlines such as Ryanair and Aer Lingus increased capacity there following the Government decision to axe the 3 per cent travel tax.

Both Aer Lingus and US carrier Delta increased capacity slightly on routes from the airport this year. It may yet benefit from a new transatlantic service should the US agree to give Norwegian Air International a licence allowing it to fly from both Cork and Shannon to Boston.