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SHANNON GROUP CHIEF executive Mary Considine has called on the government to introduce a Covid testing regime at Irish airports that would “restore confidence and get aviation moving safely again”.
Michael McNamara — independent TD for Clare and chair of the Special Dáil Committee for Covid-19 Response — has backed calls for rapid testing to be rolled out at all Irish airports.
Their remarks follow confirmation by Ryanair that it plans to temporarily shutter its Shannon and Cork Airport bases for the winter in a bid to cut capacity from 60% down to 40%.
Speaking this morning, Ryanair group chief executive Michael O’Leary said that while he “deeply regretted” these cuts, they have been “forced upon us by government mismanagement of EU air travel”.
“This is very disappointing news not only for Shannon based Ryanair employees and all our airport team but for the whole region who rely on the services that Ryanair provide. We have done everything in our power to retain the base, ” Considine said.
“What we need now is a clear pathway to recovery for aviation. We had hoped that it would start with a harmonised EU traffic light system. While this was endorsed by Ireland, the measures proposed fall short of what the industry requires.
“This urgently needs to be addressed and supported by a testing regime at airports to restore confidence and get aviation moving safely again,” Considine added.
Niall MacCarthy, Cork Airport managing director, said his team were “devastated by the news”.
“Cork Airport was Ireland’s fastest-growing airport before Covid-19 and we are now looking at a 95% plus reduction in traffic levels for this coming winter compared to last year,” he added.
However, he said that “with the appropriate financial supports and travel policies from government, we will work tirelessly to secure the return of the Ryanair base at Cork ahead of next summer”.
As part of Budget 2021, the government announced a €31.3m allocation to all regional airports.
Some €21.3m will be allocated under the Regional Airports Programme. Another €10m for Shannon and Cork airports will come from a separate exchequer-funded programme.
But Clare TD McNamara said this afternoon that funding alone will not solve the problem.
Backing Considine’s calls, he said, “Testing protocols should be agreed at all Irish airports to satisfy the requirements of destination airports.
“Shannon and those who rely on it for connectivity need the introduction of testing, just as many airports across Europe have implemented to enable their aviation sector to function,” he added.
On the ropes
Local business groups, unions representing staff and politicians have described the news as a hammer blow for the affected regions.
Ian Mc Donnell, the Fórsa trade union official who represents Ryanair pilots, expressed disappointment in Ryanair management’s lack of communication.
“The announcement by Ryanair today that it is to close its Cork base puts Cork Airport on the ropes and will be devastating for the staff impacted directly and indirectly,” said Conor Healy, chief executive of Cork Chamber.
He has called for further “direct financial support from government in addition to that announced and welcomed on Budget Day”.
Violet-Anne Wynne, Sinn Féin TD for Clare said, “This morning’s news will come as another major blow to Shannon Airport and the entire Shannon region.
“In a week where the government committed around €5 million to Shannon Airport, along with their pledge to sign up to the EU Traffic Light system in Tuesday’s Budget, it would appear this may be a case of too little, too late.
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It’s no coincidence our Minister for transport is a Green TD. Since the original ICAO conference in 1947 We were always to the forefront of aviation I fear this gombeen will ruin this. He has made no effort to assist the industry so far during his tenure.
As an island nation we will suffer long after he cycle’s into oblivion.
@Dermot Byrne: look. Oleary can say what he wants, much easier to blame the government than his own customers. The truth is nobody is flying, and If you or a friend have recently gone abroad, virus aside, the customer base isn’t there. Flights are empty. 70-80% of people staying home
@RJ: Mainly because of government handling. No testing in airports, green list joke, etc. We’ve had a EU wide summer of travelling, and guess what, no clusters due to aviation. We either live with this virus for the foreseeable, or will the last person please turn off the lights.
@RJ: Flights have being empty since June yet the still take-off. Oleary’s Plan to renege paying back customers who adhere to health guidance. These millions of euros stolen from customers have offset any need to bailout airlines.
@RJ: well said, you won’t be popular, the truth never is
@RJ: Flying in Europe is down 40/50% but in Ireland it is 70/80%.
Agree oLeary complains but it is Govt Policy also causing this. Cases had been low over summar and the green list should have been broaded then to help the industry but it was not due to a poor new disjointed GOvt who are happy to blame COVID now solely.
@Darren Norris: “Flying in Europe is down 40/50% but in Ireland it is 70/80%”
Might that have anything to do with the fact that we’re an island?
The far reaching consequences to the Covid overreaction are there for all to see now and yet people will still clap Nphet and the government on the back. Mind boggling.
If demand is there to fly, Ryanair or another airline will be back in a flash to make money.
No demand for foreseeable future to fly in large numbers so no shock companies are downsizing.
Certain industries may never be the same again. We need to face these facts and evolve, not blindly subsidise all private industries.
@Nioe: Demand that’s a thing. UK short break tourists wont even be able to drive over here when they arrive from January so I doubt they will be flooding back to fly drive holidays in any great numbers. It will be easier to just stay around Dublin with easy & regular public transport to get too & from your hotel in the city.
@Joe Thorpe: not so,uk residents will be permitted to drive in the republic,but if you reside in Ireland and have a uk license you’ll have to swop that for a Irish license
@larry duff: That’s not what Barnier is saying, he’s saying UK licences wont be valid in the EU. UK license holders aren’t going to surrender them, what will they use when they go back to their UK homes, a lot have homes in both countries.
@Nioe: and if you have to be tested when travelling that will add extra costs. Holidays are going to get more expensive!
Now all of the people who would usually fly Ryanair for the holidays, whether they’re going or coming will have to use Dublin airport & lot more staff on the breadline
The Greens will get their lesson next election
@trebloc01: nothing to do with the Greens. I’d suggest that thing called a pandemic is to blame…!
@Paul: FF, FG and labour have been doing nothing for 100 years but you know ‘the greens’..
What will Mehole Fartin do now?
@Peter O Donnell: Put like that I guess he will cr@p himself.
If capitalism is so great why do companies need solicalism bailouts every decade? Maybe they shouldn’t have been spending well beyond their means and like we are told, put something away for a rainy day…
@Bren: If the airlines were going under as a result of mismanagement and spending beyond their means then I would agree with you. But they’re struggling because of government restrictions. The government has stated that there is no country in the world that they consider safe for people to travel to and if people ignore that advice and travel to any of those countries they will be subject to a quarantine upon their return. Hence, people are reluctant to fly. So its is not unreasonable to expect the government – whose decisions are causing the problem – to help out. The same should apply to every industry that has been hamstrung by government fumbling.
I think the planet is trying to tell us that we should let these industries go; Aviation, beef, private transportation and war, rather than turn them into zombie industries sucking the lifeblood out of necessary public services like housing and health.
@Sean Byrne: Should we order in a load of currach’s Sean?
@Sean Byrne: Is that you Eamon.
@David Corrigan: Not a bad idea, We could upcycle airplane fuselages for boat hulls.
@Sean Byrne: Why not make them into famine boats while we’re at it!
@Sean Byrne: Makes sense really but you know what we’re like on this oily rock for –’sense’. The comments above are proof of how incapable we are of dealing with one of a few existential certainties, that of change.
He is in Brussels on an EU meeting.
It’s about time aviation was halted. What an appalling ignorance to think we could afford to go on with this daily out of control pollution on our planet. Time to rationalise our approach to life if we actually want our living environment to remain habitable. That will require a return to more localisation and the overdue halt of globalisation. Arrivederci to Ryanair and it’s like.
Unfortunately the airline companies do not care about Shannon..
Nor the Government
The transatlantic airlines also pulled out united etc..
Aer Lingus will only fly from Dublin how does that make sense it must cost more to fly from Dublin ..
Shannon Airport was the forefront of Aviation for years it has the Longest Runway great Facilities great aspirations but no support..
The Green Party for all their shouting about environment etc and we have to drive to Dublin and fly back over our Counties the pollution on that alone is crazy not to mention the Congestion with Traffic..
Shannon had the first Duty Free and now it is only kept going with Cargo and Private jets and the US Military
It will be closed if it keeps up..
So any Government Official get on this fast Please
Feel for the staff that will no doubt be in a pickle as a result of this. We’ve enjoyed €5 flights to Europe for a long time there! Shame you cant say the same about the train from Kildare to Dublin.
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