INCREASING services at Shannon Airport will lead to a positive economic impact for the Mid-West region.
Limerick Chamber have rowed in behind comments made by Junior Minister, James Lawless (FF) for tourists to consider flying into Shannon Airport as an alternative to flying directly to Dublin Airport which is experiencing ongoing passenger cap issues.
CEO of Limerick Chamber, Michelle Gallagher described the Minister of State’s comments as “refreshing”. She said, “Ireland needs to better utilise our state-owned aviation assets to boost growth outside Dublin but to also help to relieve pressure on Dublin Airport. We already know that for many, Ireland is the destination, not Dublin – with at least 40% of those travelling through the airport visiting other parts of Ireland”.
She continued, “As Minister Lawless highlighted, there is no cap in airports outside Dublin, on the contrary there is significant underutilised capacity at these airports. But there is also significant added value in using the likes of Shannon Airport. It has the longest runway in Ireland, capable of taking any aircraft type. The Limerick / Shannon area has largest 90-minute catchment area outside Dublin. Shannon is also one of just two airports in Europe to offer a full US preclearance service. It has a new bus route linking it with Limerick City, the main transport node in the Mid-West, and indeed the motorway to the airport doesn’t suffer from the congestion seen at other motorways in Ireland. Making the journey easier than most”.
In a submission to the National Planning Framework review, Limerick Chamber flagged that Dublin accounts for 86% of Ireland’s annual passenger numbers. “This is a key risk in terms of national security”. In 2018, Limerick Chamber commissioned an independent piece of research with Copenhagen Economics, where they highlighted how Ireland is an outlier in Europe with the overconcentration of passengers at our capital city airport.
Ms Gallagher commented, “Of course, there is always the question of sustainability, in our view the most sustainable airport is the one already built. We need to take advantage of the embodied carbon already within the state apparatus, before we commit to building anything new – and that means taking advantage of the existing underutilised capacity at Shannon, and indeed Cork.
“It is important to note that, almost half of Ireland’s FDI companies are located within the Shannon Airport catchment area. Indeed, we know from speaking to our own members that daily transatlantic flights, as well as connections to Britain and Europe are key influencing facts in businesses deciding to locate and grow here. There are significant economic impacts that come from increasing international linkages and we would welcome these benefits to our region,” she concluded.
