Tag Archives: Shannon airport

This week we discuss why Shannon Airport is still struggling years after Leo Varadkar’s plan for recovery, the impact of Brexit on Clare and the US military veterans before the courts.

DEAR Leo, You’ve had a few very good years since we used to see you around here. The Taoiseach no less. Writing official letters to Kylie Minogue and going running with Trudeau! When you were Minister for Transport and came to Shannon, you were some man to get a rise out of people, Leo. Those that were there don’t forget a ridiculous suggestion that Knock was on the brink of overtaking Shannon and a rather wild claim that Aer Rianta International should be taken from the Clare airport because you said it had been established using profits from Dublin, that certainly shook ’em up, didn’t it? In Clare, some of us also remember the gleaming vision for Shannon set out at the end of 2012. In the pits of recession, a newly-launched plan for the airport predicted 2.3 million passengers within five years and 2.5 million by 2021. Outstanding! And there were going to be well over 3,000 new jobs …

EMERGENCY services were on standby this morning at Shannon Airport, as an American Airlines was forced to make an unscheduled diversion there. The emergency landing took place at 8.47am, and the flight had been en route from New York to Heathrow. It landed safely and an inspection of the aircraft took place and the aircraft was undamaged. It is set to leave Shannon later this afternoon.  

A woman in her 70s has died after she became ill on a flight from Frankfurt in Germany to Newark in the US, which was diverted to Shannon Airport on Wednesday afternoon. The elderly woman had a heart attack and the flight, which was over the Atlantic Ocean at the time, turned back and landed in Shannon. The woman received treatment on board the flight but she was pronounced dead soon after the flight landed in Shannon. Her body has been removed to University Hospital Limerick for a post-mortem.

Last Friday during routine operations, Revenue officers at Shannon Airport seized 4.5kgs of herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of €90,000. The drugs were found concealed in a parcel labelled as ‘clothing’, which had originated from Spain. The illegal drugs were destined for an address in County Carlow. Investigations are ongoing. If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding drug smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295.

    EAST Clare councillors have expressed concern over the stranglehold Dublin Airport has on the grown of passenger numbers over the last five years. Passenger numbers at Shannon Airport are expected to be up to around 1.8 million by the end of this year representing over 30% of an increase since the airport became independent, separating from the Dublin group five years ago. Cork Airport has grown by more than 2%, which translates into 50,000 and Knock Airport by 12% in the same period Traffic at Shannon Airport has grown by over 400,000 since 2013, when the airport began managing its own business future after new legislation allowed it function independently of the Dublin Airport Authority. However, Shannon Heritage managing director, Niall O’Callaghan pointed out the “unhealthy dominance” of Dublin Airport comes sharply into focus with confirmation passengers numbers at the city terminal grew by almost ten million in the same period. Given the focus on regional developments and …

MORE public transport options that are connected to Shannon Airport are needed to make it more attractive for passengers, according to the first citizen. Clare County Council chairman, Councillor Michael Begley has cited his recent experience on a flight from Shannon Airport to Birmingham in England to highlight the difference between what transport opportunities are available for passengers in these two locations. Speaking at a recent Killaloe Municipal District meeting, Councillor Begley told his council colleagues he left Shannon Airport for Birmingham the previous Monday evening. “To my surprise the flight was almost full. Within two hours of leaving Shannon, I had used the plane, shuttle bus, light rail, monorail and a train to be in Birmingham City Centre in two hours. “That is what real access means to me. We are nowhere related to that. I am using Birmingham because it was a commuter short flight. “We have to think how we can make Shannon more attractive to the …

THERE was some surprise around the county that the Clare hurling team didn’t fly from Shannon for the recent Fenway Hurling Classic in Boston. Obviously Shannon was the logical place for them to fly out of, rather than Dublin, and with the Clare airport always looking for local support, having the county’s hurling team fly from there would have been appreciated. However, although some members of the Limerick squad departed from Shannon, the Banner crossed the country to Dublin Airport, before boarding their flight to the States. In a statement this week Aer Lingus, which sponsored flights for the competing teams, claimed that Clare had to go to Dublin because there had been a very high level of demand. “Aer Lingus was delighted to partner with the Gaelic Players Association and GAA again, this year as a title sponsor, of the Aer Lingus Fenway Hurling Classic 2018 held at Boston’s iconic Fenway Park. We supported flights for the four teams …