LEONORA Carey (FG) described Fianna Fáil’s manifesto as “a major betrayal of Shannon” after it recommended the removal of the passenger cap at Dublin, but her own party’s manifesto now does the same.
Launched at the weekend, the first point the Fine Gael makes in relation to aviation is that the party will work to remove the passenger cap at Dublin.
It says that it will seek to “ensure Dublin Airport is facilitated to grow in line with the needs of our population and economy.”
The Fine Gael manifesto also says it will “conduct an urgent review to maximise the use of regional airports including Knock, Shannon, Cork, Donegal and Kerry.”
It also says that it will “develop a national sustainable aviation fuel policy roadmap and support Shannon Airport as a hub for testing new aviation technologies”.
While the manifesto is in favour of the removal of the cap, just as the Fianna Fáil one is, Ms Carey claimed the Fine Gael one is positive for Shannon.
“Shannon Airport management has made a compelling case for the Government to develop the Irish aviation sector across Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports by maximising services to the regions where passengers want to go and meets business and tourism needs,” Ms Carey said.
“The manifesto also calls for the removal of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport on the basis that genuine issues such as noise pollution, sustainability and flight movements at night are dealt with.
“This approach will allow Dublin to continue to bid for new routes and ensure sustainability across the country.
“The Irish Aviation Authority should introduce additional requirements to ensure that the limited capacity at Dublin Airport should focus solely on improving Ireland’s connectivity. This means that requests for new slots should prioritise new long-haul destinations not currently operated from Dublin.
“The national aviation policy review should ensure that any request from airline operators for surplus slots at Dublin Airport should include the offer of an equivalent slot at Shannon or Cork and no additional capacity on existing routes should be allocated to Dublin.
“A major element of the Fine Gael manifesto focuses on the promotion of sustainability and the development of a National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Policy.
“In this context, the party’s commitment to support Shannon Airport as a hub for testing new aviation technologies is particularly significant.
“Along with promoting Shannon as an international centre for innovation, it would strengthen Ireland’s aviation sector and support the country’s green transition.”
The general election candidates claimed that Shannon Airport could also derive major benefits from Fine Gael’s proposals to develop Ireland’s air cargo infrastructure into the future.
“The manifesto also includes a proposal to assess the feasibility of an all-island approach to strengthening speed to market and competitiveness of indigenous and FDI exporting firms, especially when it comes to the provision of air cargo infrastructure,” she concluded.
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.