*Eddie Wilson speaking at the Shannon Chamber luncheon in Dromoland Castle. Photograph: Eamon Ward.
SHANNON AIRPORT is punching well above its weight but is not the answer to the passenger cap problems at Dublin Airport, the CEO of Ryanair has said.
Ryanair CEO, Eddie Wilson was the keynote speaker at a recent Shannon Chamber luncheon held at Dromoland Castle.
In a fast-paced presentation, Wilson gave a insight into the company’s business model which has enabled the airline to operate 600 aircraft from 95 bases in 34 states and 234 airports, carrying 200 million passengers per annum.
Turning his attention to Shannon, where Ryanair has invested €300million, based three aircraft, operates 26 routes to 10 countries, carried 20 million passengers to date one million of which were this year, supports 1,200 jobs, including 200 highly skilled jobs at its 3-bay heavy maintenance facility, Wilson said that Shannon punches well above its weight, will live on its own merits but would benefit even more if the Government permanently including Shannon in the Regional Airport Programme. “This is an additional cap that Ryanair wants to see lifted,” he said.
Stating that Shannon receives more Ryanair investment, in routes, aircraft and capacity than similar regional airports in Europe, he cited Gothenburg, with a population of 600,000, and Nuremberg, with a population of 520,000, as airports with less routes than Shannon. “Shannon is operating in a very competitive environment for scarce capacity in regional airports. It is not competing with Dublin; it is competing with airports such a Marseilles, so it needs to stay competitive. Airlines will put aircraft in airports with the lowest cost base; that’s why Shannon needs to stay competitive,” he added.
Shannon Chamber president, Eoin Gavin, welcomed the investment Ryanair is making in Shannon, in terms of route development and aircraft maintenance, and looks forward to seeing Ryanair adding more base aircraft at Shannon, which he said would guarantee more activity, flights, and options .
Addressing the luncheon, he said that Shannon and the region can deliver a lot more, to a lot more companies and overseas visitors if the Government delivers on its commitment to balanced regional development, which includes undertaking a review of the National Aviation Policy, which has not been reviewed since 2015.
Regardless of airport caps, which he said is Dublin’s issue, he said that a review of the National Aviation Policy is essential.
Stating that there is no cap on Ireland’s airport capacity, he said that given the current planning constraint, limiting Dublin’s capacity, Shannon Chamber believes that this is the ideal time to consider a strategic shift in how we distribute air traffic across our other state airports.
“Managing within the cap of 32 million passengers creates a challenge that can be addressed by redistributing traffic across other airports in Ireland. We say this against a background where nearly 40% of Ireland’s population lives within the catchment area of Shannon Airport, while 38% of visitors arriving at Dublin Airport ultimately head to the West of Ireland. This situation presents an opportunity to strengthen Ireland’s regional airports and improve connectivity across the country, while alleviating the pressure on Dublin Airport. Shannon has untapped capacity, a top-tier infrastructure, and the potential to relieve some of the congestion currently being experienced at Dublin,” he said.
Gavin continued, “Shannon Airport, with its existing infrastructure, can instantly absorb an additional 3 million passengers without the need for any further upgrades, providing an immediate and practical solution to ease the pressure on Dublin. Not only would better utilisation of Shannon address Dublin’s immediate challenges, but it would also drive balanced regional development, particularly in the west of Ireland”.
Gavin also called for improved transport links to Shannon including Government setting a timeline for the development and delivery of a direct rail connection to Shannon Airport. He also said that a Shannon bus service, that would provide regular, direct and reliable services to major cities and towns in the region is also a requisite. “This includes allowing private bus operators to carry passengers to and from Shannon Airport, as is currently the case from all parts of Ireland to Dublin Airport”.
Emphasising the role that Shannon Airport can play in rebalancing the national economy, Mary Considine, CEO of the Shannon Airport Group said: “Shannon Airport is crucial in rebalancing Ireland’s aviation landscape, having capacity to ease congestion at Dublin Airport, enhancing connectivity, and supporting the Government’s goal of a balanced national economy”.
Irish Rail sponsored students from St Caimin’s Community School and Shannon Comprehensive School to attend the lunch with students leading the Q&A session following the lunch. The Liam McCarthy Cup and Croke Cup were also guests of honour at the lunch, with Clare hurling manager, Brian Lohan and player David Fitzgerald in attendance.
