Shannon in a tailspin

VOLCANIC ash spewing from Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland, which has played havoc with travel through Irish airspace, has turned to gold dust for Portugal.

That’s because American carrier, Omni Air International, which ferries US troops to and from tours of duty in the Middle East, decided to suspend its use of Shannon Airport, relocating to Oslo initially before moving on and now opting for an airport in Portugal as its base for technical stops.
Sources at Shannon Airport estimate the daily invasion of US troops was worth in the region of €400,000 a week. The decision has already had serious repercussions with EFG Inflight, the catering company that services all flights at Shannon, temporarily laying off 30 staff, just under half its workforce, while the airport’s world-renowned Duty Free shop has curtailed its opening hours because of the downturn in passenger throughput.
Omni Air International flagged their move to Portugal as a temporary relocation and while there is speculation of a return to Shannon this weekend, the move is entirely dependent on weather patterns.
The latest turbulence is coming at a time when commercial traffic figures at the airport for the first four months of the year nose-dived by 40% and when low cost carrier Ryanair has significantly scaled back on its routes, trimming them down to just 10 flights a day.
In countenance to that, Delta Airlines have recommenced their daily winter schedule with a promise that they will operate from Shannon four times a week during the summer. Last summer, they axed their schedule out of Shannon entirely.
Worryingly, the declines in commercial traffic were in the order of 28.8% in January, 36.8% in February and 35% in March, peaking in April when the traffic downturn was of the magnitude of 57%. Shannon’s losses exceeded those of the other State airports at Cork and Dublin.
Shannon is haemorrhaging passengers, the drop reaching double digits for the third successive year, down from 3.6million in 2007.
Despite these hammer blows, Mayor of Shannon Seán McLoughlin believes in putting a positive spin on things. He accepts there is an immediate need for the Government to market the region abroad and try to rein in the slide in passenger throughput.
“It’s very worrying and we’ve seen this trend for some time. I would say that the reason Ryanair pulled out was they saw their numbers dropping. What’s needed is a massive investment in the West of Ireland and to promote Shannon as the gateway to it. Everything is being geared towards Dublin at the moment and they’re trying to get the passenger numbers to 50 million. Shannon is being completely ignored by the DAA,” he maintains.
The Shannon Mayor is optimistic however that Shannon could put itself back on the radar believing that it does have a long-term future.
“There is a huge future for Shannon and I’m very happy with the new Airport Authority Board. These are people who have made an investment in the region like Brian O’Connell and Mark Nolan. I have huge faith in them and in the local management,” he emphasises.
Shannon Airport’s current economic plight struck a sympathetic chord with peace group Shannonwatch, who also reiterated their belief that companies shouldn’t be basing their business models on such “unreliable traffic”.
They say business from the US military can’t be depended upon and the temporary job losses at EFG Inflight exposed the unsustainability of the war industry as a business model for Shannon Airport. They say everyone needs to work for sustainable and morally-based business for Shannon Airport.
It’s an ill wind that doesn’t blow some good. Unfortunately, in Shannon’s case, the volcanic ash plume that’s drifting into Irish airspace is bringing anything but good news.

An imaginative appointment
RETIRING Bishop of Killaloe Dr Willie Walsh has described as “very imaginative” the appointment of Cork native Fr Kieran O’Reilly as his successor.
Bishop Walsh, a very compassionate and humble man who championed the cause of the marginalised in society, had tendered his resignation letter to Pope Benedict XI on turning 75 last January. He admitted to a sense of relief that a successor has been selected.
However, clergy in the diocese were surprised at the appointment of Fr O’Reilly, Superior General of the Society of African Missions. The diocese’s 100 priests earlier this year held a vote and the names of the top three candidates were submitted to the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza.
This is the first time that a cleric from outside the Diocese of Killaloe has filled the position and this week Fr Kieran O’Reilly admitted there are tough challenges ahead in his new role, particularly as he’s been away from the Catholic Church in Ireland for most of the last 30 years through his role with the Society of African Missionaries.
Bishop Walsh says the appointment of a priest from a society whose priority is evangelisation may be quite providential.
His hope, he says, is that Fr O’Reilly’s particular experience of evangelisation in a younger African Church will bring new life and rejuvenation to an older Irish Church.
Given the recent controversies which have rocked the church to its core, strong leadership is of the essence.