Aer Lingus have confirmed that flights to Faro, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca will not be transferred from Cork Airport to Shannon Airport.
Next month, Cork Airport is to begin works over a ten week period on the reconstruction of its runway from September 13th to November 22nd. It will be the largest construction project undertaken there since 2005 when a new terminal and ancillary buildings were erected.
As first reported by The Clare Echo, this is to result a daily Aer Lingus service from Shannon to London Heathrow commencing on September 13th. This service is intended to operate for the duration of the closure.
Aircraft and cabin crew operating the Shannon to Heathrow service are to be based in Dublin Airport.
However, The Clare Echo has learned that this is the only planned addition to the offering at Shannon Airport due to Cork’s closure with routes to Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Faro transferring to Dublin Airport
A spokesperson for Aer Lingus told The Clare Echo, “Aer Lingus will continue to operate flights to Faro and Malaga from Dublin Airport during the runway closure at Cork Airport. Flights to Palma de Mallorca will also operate from Dublin Airport up until the end of the summer schedule, 30th October”.
Denis Vaughan of the Save our Shannon (SOS) action group has criticised Aer Lingus for failing to add the additional routes to Shannon albeit temporarily. “The sidelining of Shannon Airport is unacceptable, Aer Lingus have a responsibility to the travelling public of the Mid-West and passengers flying to and from Shannon. We call on the Government to urgently intervene to address this crisis and for a new national aviation policy”.
He believed the approach was in line with Aer Lingus’ treatment towards Shannon. “This has been a long held policy of Aer Lingus for twenty years, they encourage passengers to Dublin Airport on cheaper fares and leave the more expensive routes for Shannon Airport”.
In May, Aer Lingus announced that it would no longer maintain its base at Shannon, where 83 cabin crew are employed.
