Shannon Airport is to receive €6.1m in emergency funding.

Ahead of the recommencement of passenger flights from Shannon Airport on July 1st, the International Airport has received a timely boost with the confirmation of the funding announced on Thursday evening.

A meeting of Cabinet approved the emergency funding earlier on Thursday. Shannon is the only Airport in Ireland that has been awarded such funds. The new Minister for Transport is expected to provide a report back to Cabinet once they have been briefed on the level of support required to secure the Airport’s future.

Deputy Joe Carey (FG) told The Clare Echo that the €6.1m will “provide an important lifeline to Shannon as it prepares to reopen on a 24-hour basis from July 1”. In recent weeks, Carey raised the need for Shannon to receive funding with An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar (FG).

Carey added, “The return of passenger flights in and out of Shannon is obviously vital for the airport and all its employees, but also for many businesses and companies in Clare and the wider region. The entire West coast of the country depends hugely on tourism traffic provided by the airport and local industry and the significant FDI presence in the Mid-West and western regions depends greatly on the connectivity it provides”.