Mid-West Chambers and Irish Hotels Federation Welcome Ryanair’s commitment to Shannon Airport

The collective Chambers of Commerce of Shannon, Ennis, Galway and Limerick and the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) have welcomed the commitment Ryanair is demonstrating to Shannon Airport through announcing that it will deliver six new routes for the airport and restore a second based aircraft at the airport. The business grouping has also complimented Shannon Group’s airport marketing team for their and Ryanair’s efforts in securing these services, so soon after the lifting of government restrictions on international travel from Shannon Airport.

Accepting that the forecasted timescale for the recovery of air traffic at Shannon to 2019 levels may not be until 2024 at the earliest, the fact that Ryanair will have 18 routes in total from Shannon during the winter season is most encouraging.” the Chambers and IHF stated.

“The mix of routes being offered by Ryanair will serve the needs of both the leisure and business traveller. Destinations such as London Luton, London Stanstead, London Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham will enable companies to access customers in the UK market and vice versa, customers to site visit Shannon.

“This is but the start of the air traffic recovery process. As outlined in our presentations to Ministers Eamon Ryan and Hildegarde Naughton, and to the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications, route restoration will not happen organically. Given the competitive international landscape, as also highlighted by Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson today, airlines and airports will need to be supported in their efforts to restore traffic to Irish airports. That is why we have prepared and presented a financial model to Government that could be used to encourage airlines to restore traffic, to 2019 levels, into regional airports during the recovery period.

“We now look forward to discussing this model with Ryanair and other airlines serving Shannon Airport, to further strengthen our case to Government that, with other countries already incentivising airlines, Ireland simply must follow suit; the alternative, airlines opting to go elsewhere, cannot be contemplated.”