ANGER has greeted a decision by Aer Lingus to cut back on its services from Heathrow to Shannon Airport, this week, in order to meet the London airport’s new rules on passenger numbers.

Senator Timmy Dooley has expressed his frustration at decision of Aer Lingus to pull the 7.20pm daily Shannon to Heathrow flight for this week.

The Irish airline had said Aer Lingus decided that the flight being cut this week will be the 7.20pm service from Heathrow to Shannon. The service is the last of the day to Shannon.

Anyone looking to travel to Shannon this week from Heathrow will only have the options of the 9.20am or the 2.45pm service.

All airlines were told to cut flights from Heathrow in order to bring the number of outgoing passengers moving through the airport down to 100,000 a day between now and September.

“Shannon Airport has again lost out as aviation decision makers continue their obsession with Dublin Airport,” Senator Dooley said.

“It beggars belief why Aer Lingus wouldn’t remove these flights just from Dublin Airport to Heathrow as we know well Dublin could do with less passengers passing through. 

“The aviation sector in Ireland needs urgent reform. Shannon and other regional airports must be used more to ensure balanced regional development and to take pressure of Dublin Airport.”