Tag Archives: shannon

LOCAL company Atlantic Aviation Group (AAG) announced today that it has acquired Lufthansa Technik Shannon. The future of Lufthansa Technik Shannon had been in doubt for a number of months as a strategic review of the business was ongoing, which was followed by a sale process. It is not immediately clear what impact there will be on jobs in Shannon. While AAG released a statement this morning in which it stated that 300 Lufthansa Technik Staff would be joining AAG, there were 505 people working there in 2020. In this morning’s statement AAG said the deal “will bring AAG’s total workforce to approximately 740 people across sites in Shannon and Brize Norton in the UK. For the remainder of 2021, both companies will focus on transition planning with the aim to have a smooth integration in early 2022. The deal is subject to approval from the LHT Supervisory Board, and the terms of the sale will remain confidential.” It claimed …

STAFF at Shannon company Lufthansa Technik are due to be briefed on plans for its future this morning. Sources this morning say that it is expected it will be sold to another local company. While the majority of the jobs are set to be retained, it is expected that there will be around 140 lay offs. The company has been undergoing a strategic review in recent months, looking at options including the sale of the plant and its potential closure. Going by the company’s 2020 annual report, it employed just over 500 people in Shannon last year.

A WORLD leading operator of cargo drone deliveries hopes to begin operating commerical deliveries from Shannon in the near future. SkyPorts has been running test flights from Shannon for a number of weeks after receiving a Light UAS Operator Certificate from the Irish Aviation Authority, the first one issued in the EU. The drones have been flying across the Shannon estuary over and back to Foynes of late, after the company received the cert, allowing for Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone operations. Already the company uses drones to make commercial and medical deliveries in the UK and in Singapore, and it’s expected that the same thing will happen from Shannon quite soon. Duncan Walker, CEO of SkyPorts said that testing at Shannon has gone well. “We’ve been flying pretty much every day for the past couple of weeks,” he told The Champion. “It’s been great, we’ve had some robust conditions, and it’s been going very, very well. It’s a …

FIANNA Fáil Spokesperson on Tourism and Aviation Clare Cathal Crowe has said that a rail spur for Shannon Airport has been included in the National Development Plan. The Cabinet has today signed off on the €165 billion plan, which runs from now until 2030, with a particular focus on priority solutions to strengthen housing, climate ambitions, transport, healthcare, jobs growth in every region and economic renewal for the decade ahead. “Today’s announcement marks one of the biggest ever spends in the history of our state,” said Deputy Crowe. “With focus on economic development in the regions, it was always going to be vital that we see Shannon Airport being the centre of attention. “I am delighted to see that the long-awaited rail connection for Shannon Airport has been committed to, which will mean Shannon will be the country’s first airport with a rail link. “Since my election as a county councillor in 2004, I have been heavily involved in efforts …

TUESDAY’S unveiling of former Aer Arann boss Pádraig Ó Céidigh as the next Chairman of Shannon Group was almost universally welcomed in Clare, given the Galway man’s depth of experience. He comes in at a very uncertain time for the airport, as it seeks to find its niche in a changed aviation landscape. “I actually believe that the time we are in now is the most challenging time in the history of Shannon Airport. As a result of that my role as the non-executive Chairman is probably the most challenging job in Irish aviation,” he told The Clare Champion on Wednesday. While one could see that as taking pressure off himself, that doesn’t seem to be his intention, because he also sets targets for his three year term that may not easily be realised. “Success to me in three years would be to get back to 2019 levels, with the passenger numbers and broadly the routes we had in 2019. …

FURTHER concerns have emerged over potential pyrite damage to a number of homes in the South East Clare area. It is understood that publicity around the issue of defective blocks and the visit of the Housing Minister to see a badly affected home in Drumline has prompted other homeowners to come forward. Following a number of calls to The Champion from concerned homeowners, Councillor Patrick O’Gorman confirmed that he has also been contacted. “There are definitely more people who now realise that their houses may be affected,” the Cratloe man said. “As recently as last weekend, I’ve met homeowners who believe there may be pyrite in their homes. In one case, a couple have decided they’re going to have to sleep at one end of their house, because of their fears over the condition of the other side of it. “It’s a very worrying situation and it’s only after the issue was highlighted in the media by the action group …

The Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan has today announced the appointment of Pádraig Ó Céidigh as Chairperson of Shannon Group. Mr Ó Céidigh is expected to formally take up the three-year appointment following an appearance before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications. A former Senator, Mr Ó Céidigh is a very successful entrepreneur and held senior management positions in Aer Arann for 26 years. The fact he has extensive experience in aviation and is from Galway will be welcomed by many political figures in Clare, who were anxious that someone with a relevant background and an understanding of the issues facing the west of Ireland be appointed. He takes the position at an extremely challenging time for Shannon, with aviation facing what’s expected to be a slow recovery following the pandemic. Commenting on his appointment, Mr Ó Céidigh said: “Shannon Airport is a vital economic engine for the Shannon Region and wider west of Ireland economy. It is …

Seats to New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Newark open for booking online AER Lingus is currently selling tickets for Shannon-New York and Shannon-Boston flights on its website, while American Airlines has said it will resume Shannon-Philadelphia next May. If the Aer Lingus links are restored it would be a particularly significant boost for Shannon Airport, as those routes are particularly significant to tourism and foreign direct investment in Clare and the surrounding counties. On aerlingus.com on Wednesday Shannon-Boston services are being offered from March 10 and Shannon-New York from March 27. While the seats are on sale, the airline was less than positive when asked for a comment. “Aer Lingus is currently flying a significantly reduced schedule across the North Atlantic. “This schedule remains under constant review for the remainder of 2021 and beyond. All factors will be taken into account in that review, including this week’s announcement of the lifting of the ban on entry of EU citizens into …