Government Ministers Should Hang Heads In Shame Over Ending of Shannon Heathrow Service

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County Clare, IRELAND, 13th January 08 - The Mayor of Clare, Cllr. Patricia McCarthy today said that members of the Government should hang their heads in shame over the ending of the 60-year air link between Shannon International Airport and London Heathrow.

The Mayor said that the Government had shown complete disregard for the economic development and future viability of commerce in the West of Ireland. She stated that it had done little to prevent Aer Lingus from axing the route and had failed to secure a replacement airline to service the route.

Cllr. McCarthy commented, “The Minister for Transport and his Cabinet colleagues should hang their heads in shame today.”

She continued, “It is now evident that the Government failed miserably to act and deliver on the guarantees given in its IPO document to have permanent and quality connectivity from Shannon to London Heathrow. The Government has also failed to realise that this is not just a Shannon issue but has major implications for the entire country, in terms of maintaining critical connectivity to one of the world’s busiest airports.”

Mayor McCarthy added that her views on the removal of flights between Shannon and Heathrow had not altered since Aer Lingus’s announcement last August.

“I believe that the decision to relocate the slots to Belfast International Airport is one that will backfire on Aer Lingus, an airline that has turned its back on an airport that played a pivotal role in its development. The airline has sacrificed a profitable route and will realise this in the coming months and years as it struggles to make its Belfast to Heathrow route a success”, she indicated.

While welcoming next month’s commencement of scheduled services between Shannon and Paris Charles De Gaulle, the Mayor said, “Business, political, tourism and community leaders in the West of Ireland will continue to pursue the absolute need to retain direct services between Shannon and Heathrow.”

She explained, “The onward connectivity that will be provided by the service between Shannon and Paris will contribute greatly to the future development of business and tourism in the wider Shannon Region. It is deeply regrettable, however, that this improvement in connectivity is at the expense of the critical Shannon Heathrow service.”

"Over the years multinational companies have located to the West of Ireland due to the existence of the Shannon-Heathrow service. Numerous multinationals have stated such high quality access is irreplaceable and remains key to maintaining their operations in the Western region, which is why it is imperative that a replacement airline be found to service the Shannon-Heathrow route ", concluded the Mayor.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editor:
Mayor of Clare Cllr. Patricia McCarthy (087-4187132) is available for interview and further comment.
For further information please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy Public Relations on 086-8534900 or media@dunphypr.com