The continuation of the Shannon stopover cannot be not guaranteed, the Tβnaiste Ms Harney has warned. She said yesterday that the Government could not assume the Shannon stop was safe when making plans for the future of the airline industry.
Her remarks cast doubt over the Government's ability to maintain its stated policy on preserving the Shannon stopover, which was reaffirmed this week by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, and the Taoiseach. Mr Ahern told the Dβil that Government policy on the west coast airport remained unchanged.
Ms O'Rourke said: "Government policy is that both Aer Lingus and Shannon survive as viable entities going forward."
The Tβnaiste's comments imply that this does not necessarily include the continuation of mandatory stops at Shannon for some flights.
Ms Harney was asked whether she thought the transatlantic stopover at Shannon would go. She replied: "I hope not but I think we can't plan on the basis that it's going to stay there. Shannon has so much to offer with the Limerick and Shannon Business parks. It's the first point of contact with the west. But what we've got to do now is apply our imagination to boosting traffic," she said, adding that low-cost access was an obvious means of doing this.
Ms Harney said there were many examples in Europe of airports that had been on the verge of closure that "did deals with low-cost airlines and are now very busy".
Ms Harney was speaking before the announcement by Aer Rianta, the State airports operator, of final details of new incentives to encourage airlines to introduce new routes from the Republic.
Ms Harney said she agreed with Ryanair chief executive Mr Michael O'Leary that the Government should consider opening the State's airports to more low-cost airlines.
"We should be open to all options. Ryanair is the second-most profitable airline in Europe and what we need at the moment is more passengers coming into Irish airports. We need to restore confidence in air-travel," she said.
On yesterday's Morning Ireland programme on RT╔ radio, Mr O'Leary said the Shannon stopover would go within 12 months. "Shannon's traffic is going to be devastated," he said but added that low-cost European flights could replace the fall in transatlantic traffic.
"Lots of people in Europe next year will not travel to the States. We can get them here to Ireland but only if this Government wakes up and allows us to go ahead and put in £29, £39 and £49 from Germany, from Italy, from France.
"We have called on the Government repeatedly to let us put low-fare services back into Ireland from continental Europe. We are still waiting for an answer."
Airlines to be wooed in €25m scheme, Ryanair may abandon Belfast airport talks, page 2
