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 …
Read More »Trump leaves Clare
PRESIDENT Donald Trump has now left Clare, flying from Shannon Airport earlier this afternoon. Shannon Group Chairman, Rose Hynes was one of the last people to speak to him before his flight left, and she said the trip had been a great boost to the region. “The visit of the American President Donald Trump to Shannon further illustrates the deep ties between the West of Ireland and the United States. “Shannon is the gateway airport to the Wild Atlantic Way and is critical for tourism and indeed, business in this region, not least in the context of the huge US multi-national footprint here. The visit has been a huge sign-post for Shannon, something that will grow awareness of the airport as the premier access to this wonderful part of Ireland.”
Read More »Trump meets Taoiseach at Shannon
DONALD Trump has landed in Clare and in a typically blunt press conference at Shannon Airport, he said Brexit will be good for Ireland, while he defended his environmental record. He spoke to the press while accompanied by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and in advance of the meeting between the two he said, “It’s an honour to be here, we’ll discuss various things, probably you’ll (Varadkar) ask me about Brexit, because I just left some very good people who are very much involved with Brexit as you know. I think it’ll all work out, all work out very well and also for you, with your wall, your border. We have a border situation in the United States and you have one over here. I think they’re both going to work out well, it’s going to work out very well here. Both the military and trade are a very big factor and we’re going to be discussing that very much. It’s an …
Read More »“Brexit is up in a heap”-Champion Report Episode 10
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. https://soundcloud.com/clarechampion/the-champion-report-episode-10
Read More »An open letter to the Taoiseach ahead of Friday’s Ennis visit
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 …
Read More »Emergency landing at Shannon
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.
Read More »Woman dies after becoming ill on flight
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.
Read More »Revenue seizes herbal cannabis at Shannon Airport
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.
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