*Photograph: Joe Buckley
AER LINGUS have been requested to attend a meeting by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment over their sudden decision to axe its cargo facility at Shannon Airport.
Since the Government sold its 25 percent share in Aer Lingus to International Airlines Group (IAG), the airline which carries the national flag has gradually reduced its services from Shannon Airport including shutting its maintenance and crew bases.
By the end of this year, IAG will close the cargo facility at Shannon Airport which will result in the loss of eighteen jobs.
Subsequent to this announcement, Senator Martin Conway (FG) made contact with Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke (FG) which has led to the Minister requesting an “urgent meeting” with Aer Lingus chiefs. The request for this sit-down was issued late last week but no date for such a gathering has been agreed or set despite its ‘urgency’.
According to Conway, “Minister Burke is requesting an urgent meeting with Aer Lingus seeking a rationale as to why they have decided to close its cargo offering and facilities in Shannon and to explore the potential of reinstating the service”.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Senator Conway stated, “I am very disappointed with the manner in which Aer Lingus have unilaterally and without any consultation or engagement withdrawn its cargo service in Shannon. The level of engagement and communication with staff has been totally unacceptable, it is not a good reflection on Aer Lingus given the decades of fantastic business it has enjoyed from Shannon Airport and its staff”.
Ennistymon native Conway added, “It is my belief that instead of eliminating its cargo facilities at Shannon, that Aer Lingus should be using the fantastic facility that Shannon Airport and its environs is to increase its cargo offering at Shannon. I believe there is huge potential for increasing this not eliminating it. I’m calling on Aer Lingus to engage with an open mind with Minister Burke with this decision and also to have an open mind on reversing it”.
Last month, Minister Burke urged Aer Lingus pilots to accept a Labour Court recommendation for a 17.75 per cent pay increase in a bid to resolve their industrial dispute, which they later did. The industrial action lasted a fortnight and saw Aer Lingus forced to cancel hundreds of flights from June 26th with thousands of customers impacted.
