With more than a wing and a prayer

AFTER being tied to the Dublin Airport Authority, Shannon formally separated from it on New Year’s Day.
A statement on the airport’s website on Tuesday welcomed the split. “Separation officially took place at 11.59pm last night, with the first passengers to transit through the newly autonomous airport arriving on board the Aer Lingus EI-110 flight from JFK at 5.08am this morning.
The airport will commence operations on a solid footing by way of a debt-free balance sheet and a business plan with an immediate focus on growing passenger numbers and route development.
“The airport will also work towards the development of the International Aviation Services Centre at Shannon, which is targeting the creation of a significant number of primarily aviation-related jobs within a three to five-year period, building on the existing cluster of 40 aviation-related companies in Shannon currently.”
Shannon Airport Authority chairman Rose Hynes said it was a ‘huge moment’ for the airport, “Today is ‘Independence Day’ for Shannon – this is a historic day for us. We finally have our long-awaited freedom to determine our own future. Independence is the single most important enabler of future success for Shannon. This is an opportunity for the airport to commence a new chapter in its proud history.”
Also welcoming autonomy, Shannon Airport director Mary Considine said, “We are setting out today to create a vibrant and sustainable future for this airport, its staff, customers and the wider region. Our attention will immediately focus on growing passenger numbers at Shannon. We have an excellent start thanks to significant announcements on transatlantic and European services over the past two months which will already result in an appreciable upswing in passenger numbers next year,” she said.