Breen urges marketing of Shannon to Air India

REPORTS suggest that Air India is seriously considering making Dublin Airport its European hub, but Deputy Pat Breen has said the airline must be shown the advantages Shannon Airport has to offer, before it makes any decision.
The airline is keen to leave its current European hub at Frankfurt, which it claims is too expensive.
It’s understood that as well as Dublin, Copenhagen, Vienna and Madrid are being considered as alternatives.
However, it seems that Shannon isn’t in the frame, despite being the only European airport to offer US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance.
Deputy Breen said that he has contacted Indian diplomats to make them aware of what Shannon has to offer and expects to meet with the ambassador to Ireland.
“I’m extremely concerned that there are reports in the Indian press stating that pre-clearance facilities are now available in Dublin, when in actual fact they are in Shannon already but won’t be at Dublin Airport for a year.
“I’ve written to the DAA and asked them to put Shannon forward. I’m hoping to speak to the Indian ambassador next week and I will be putting a case for Shannon. There is an awful lot of traffic going from India to the US, so it would offer a lot of business.”
He said that the perception in the Indian media indicated that there had been weaknesses in the marketing of Shannon’s pre-clearance facility abroad.
“If the Indian media don’t know about it and think it’s available in Dublin, it shows there is a problem with the marketing and I’d be extremely worried about it. There is one year before there will be pre-clearance in Dublin and it’s important to get business in that time.”
Aer Lingus has declined to use the Shannon pre-clearance facility until the one in Dublin also opens.
On the positive side, British Airways have introduced a stopover on its all business service from London City Airport to New York to avail of the pre-clearance facility.