United Airlines managing director for the UK and Ireland, Bob Schumacher (far right) pictured with (from left): Brian Hughes, corporate sales manager Ireland and Martina Coogan, country sales manager Ireland and Northern Ireland, United Airlines and Helen Downes, CEO, Shannon Chamber. Photograph by Eamon Ward

As the peak travel season approaches, Shannon Chamber has made a call to its member companies and to fellow Chambers along the Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC) to give priority consideration to Shannon Airport as their airport of choice when making corporate and personal travel reservations.

As stated at a corporate luncheon organised by Shannon Chamber last week at which United Airlines Managing Director for the UK and Ireland, Bob Schumacher, was a guest speaker, loyalty to any airport is important and comes from its customer base.

“We were delighted to have the United Airlines team visit us in Shannon last week and to hear directly from an airline that has been serving Shannon for twenty years,” said Chamber CEO Helen Downes.

“It was a great opportunity for our member companies to engage directly with United and to share their views on route scheduling and frequency. It was a very proactive engagement and the clear take-away was that the onus is on us all here in the Mid-West to use the services provided at Shannon. Airlines don’t generate demand; we, the travelling public do. That’s why we will continue to call on our member companies to incorporate Shannon where possible in their corporate travel policy.”

Addressing the lunch, Shannon Chamber president Julie Dickerson added: “Whatever we can do as a Chamber to encourage additional capacity into this region, we will certainly do, and whatever I can do as CEO of Shannon Engine Support to show that, as a company we are willing to use Shannon as our airport of choice, I will do. There is no truer slogan than Fly Shannon, it’s easier,” she stated as she urged companies, where possible, to think Shannon first when planning corporate travel itineraries.

United Airlines has a proud record of serving Ireland and will operate a daily service throughout summer 2018 offering customers in the West of Ireland a direct connection to the Big Apple. From its New York/Newark hub, United and United Express offer nearly 400 daily departures to more than 150 destinations.

“Through working with our travel agency partners across Ireland and building strong relationships with businesses throughout the West of Ireland, we look forward to supporting the Shannon–New York/Newark route and proving the value proposition of Shannon,” said United’s Bob Schumacher, addressing the business lunch.