Tag Archives: aviation

SPEAKING in the Dáil yesterday, caretaker Transport Minister Shane Ross announced a task force for the recovery of the aviation sector. “I know that the aviation industry is anxious to have some visibility of how and when we will move forward to reopening for business and it is concerned that aviation does not feature in the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Business and Society. I share that concern,” he said “Therefore in addition to establishing a Taskforce for Aviation Recovery my Department is progressing the development of an Aviation Recovery Plan through a number of inter-related strands of work,” Minister Ross added. Outlining some of the plans, he said, “We are looking to the experience of other countries in opening borders and monitor the effectiveness of measures to control any resumption of COVID 19 growth. We will consider how a phased approach to reopening might developed based on the criteria outlined by the European Commission as a basis for an aligned …

SHANNON Group has acknowledged that its already disappointing passenger numbers will dip further in 2019. In a statement on Wednesday, low-cost airline Norwegian said it won’t run any services from Shannon for the rest of this year. “Due to the continued grounding of the Boeing 737 Max by the European aviation authorities, our flights to and from Cork and Shannon will be re-routed via Dublin for the remainder of the summer season. Cork is a seasonal route and the reduced availability of aircraft has led to the removal of Shannon services this winter.” Later on Wednesday, Shannon Group also released a statement, which said, “The worldwide grounding of the 737 Max aircraft is having a serious impact for Shannon passengers. “Proportionally, no other Irish airport has such a high level of activity operated by the 737 Max aircraft. At peak, this aircraft type would have operated 13 weekly flights from Shannon to North America. “We now estimate that the loss …

AER LINGUS has opted to reverse a pattern of recent years at Shannon, opting to continue with its New York service in the opening months of 2019, while suspending its Boston service. A spokesperson for Shannon said that in the final analysis Aer Lingus will now be able to accommodate more passengers travelling between Shannon and the US due to this move. “On balance we are pleased with the extra transatlantic capacity that this service switch creates. This change strengthens Aer Lingus’s commitment to Shannon by adding an extra 2,500 (seats) and restores a year-round service from New York to Shannon, but we are disappointed that the Boston market can only be accessed via New York for this two month winter period.” While the statement said that Shannon would continue to work with Aer Lingus on the Boston service, there are extra benefits to maintaining a link with a major global hub like JFK. “The benefits of the restoration and …

SHANNON Airport is closing down from 6pm this evening until 5am on Saturday, due to the weather. A spokeswoman said: “Due to full flight cancellations by our scheduled carriers, and in light of the Red weather alert for the area, Shannon Airport has decided to close the airport from 6pm this evening. The airport will reopen, weather permitting, at 5 am on Saturday, March 3.” “Shannon Airport remains fully operational as of now, with a number of scheduled flights taking off, due to the efforts of airport staff working through the night in challenging conditions to keep the runway operational. However, a number of airlines, including Aer Lingus and Ryanair, have now made the decision to cancel services in the interest of safety. “We strongly advise passengers intending to fly from, or travel to, Shannon Airport on Saturday to contact their relevant airline or check their website before travelling. She added, “We will post regular flight updates on our twitter account …

SHANNON’S first airshow in 25 years drew tens of thousands of spectators to the Clare airport this afternoon. Approaches to the airport were clogged for some hours in the late morning and early afternoon, and shortly before the airshow began organisers said they expected the crowd to be quite close to the 40,000 capacity. While weather conditions were blustery and overcast, fears that rain would mar the show proved unfounded. Four kilometres of fencing was installed to transform Shannon’s airfield into one of the biggest outdoor venues of the Irish summer and proceedings got underway at 1pm when members of the Irish Parachute Club dropped from the skies. Perhaps the most entertaining performance of the afternoon came from the Ravens, a UK-based formation acrobatic display team, whose various stunts left the large crowd awe-struck. Witnessing the phenomenal speed of the Saab Viggen was another one of the afternoon’s highlights, while the sound of its engines rang out for miles. Limerick man …

Saturday’s airshow to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first commercial transatlantic flight, a milestone in Irish aviation history, at Shannon Airport is expected to attract some 40,000 spectators. However, it will also provide a platform for several anti-war groups to stage peaceful protests. Groups opposed to the continued use of the airport by the US military have said the airports recent history is “not one to be proud of”. John Lannon of Shannonwatch said, “While it is fitting to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first commercial transatlantic flight from Shannon Airport and to acknowledge its important role in aviation in Ireland, we cannot ignore the fact that in the last 15 years it has been used to illegally invade Iraq and Afghanistan and has been part of the CIA’s global campaign of kidnapping and torture”. “Shannon became the original airport gateway between the US and Europe and was the birthplace of Duty Free. It is now a gateway …

WITH the Government this evening announcing the sale of the State’s stake in Aer Lingus, a Fine Gael source this evening told the Clare Champion that Shannon-US services will be enhanced as a result of the transaction. It is understood that British Airways (which is owned by IAG) will continue to use Shannon’s US  Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance facilities, and in the future it may actually pick up passengers at Shannon, effectively extending the range of US services from Shannon, something that would be welcomed by local business interests. While IAG CEO Willie Walsh had previously ruled out increasing a five year commitment to maintaining Shannon-Heathrow connectivity, this will be increased to seven years. It is understood the assurances have calmed at least some political nerves in Clare, but the issue is still set to provoke local and national debate in the coming days. The chairman of Shannon Group plc, Rose Hynes, has  welcomed the proposed IAG takeover of …

THOUSANDS of people have come from different parts of the country to Shannon Airport today to see the Antonov 225, the world’s largest aircraft. The plane arrived shortly before 3am from Bangor International Airport and will leave again at around 10pm. It’s wing span is greater than the width of the pitch at Croke Park and from nose to tail it is one and a half times the length of an Olympic Swimming Pool. It stands alone as the largest and most powerful jet the world has ever seen. Shannon has one of the longest runways in Europe and it is the only Irish airport the Antonov 225 has ever landed at. Niall Moloney, Shannon Airport Operations Director said the aircraft never fails to amaze. “When you see it on the taxiway here and can put its size into perspective, it’s almost unbelievable that it can get up into the skies, let alone be as graceful when it’s up there,” …