Mixed News For Shannon Airport

Business & Finance - Industry

Monday, 05 December 2011 11:26

Written by Pat Flynn

Aer Lingus had mixed news for struggling Shannon Airport over the weekend when it confirmed the axing of two poorly performing European routes and a reduction in its New York service next summer. The airline has however confirmed that it will increase the frequency of its Shannon to Boston service by one flight a week in 2012.

While both the Boston and New York services will be axed for the first quarter of 2012, when flights resume at the end of March Aer Lingus will fly to New York (JFK) just 3 times a week and to Boston on the other 4 days.

The company has one long-haul aircraft based at the mid west airport which means the plane can only operate 7 services a week. As a result, the better performing and more popular Boston route will benefit at the expense of the New York service.

Aer Lingus has confirmed: "Based on the very strong performance of the route in 2011 we will increase the Shannon to Boston service from 3 times per week to four times per week for Summer 2012. Shannon to New York will consequently reduce to 3 flights per week."

The airline explained: "There's one long-haul aircraft based in Shannon, which operates 7 days per week. The allocation of the aircraft capacity is based on the performance of the routes."

Shannon Councillor Mrs Patricia McCarthy said: "I welcome the increased service on the Boston route but am naturally disappointed that it is at the expense of the JFK service."

"It is also a disappointment that they have not seen fit to operate a direct Shannon to Chicago service which I believe would be a viable route," Cllr McCarthy added.

Aer Lingus has also confirmed that it will operate an additional service from Dublin to Boston next summer making a total of 12 flights a week. It is understood however that Dublin to Orlando services will be cut from 3 to 2 for the same period.

Meanwhile, after months of speculation, Aer Lingus has also confirmed that it has completely ceased services from Shannon to Paris and Gatwick.

The airline only resumed operations on the Paris Charles De Gaulle route last December after it had axed it 9 years earlier.

It is known that the early morning Gatwick to Shannon service, only introduced on March 27th this year, had been performing poorly with several flights cancelled as a result of low bookings.

Clare Labour TD Mr Michael McNamara said: "The question has to be asked whether the airline actually looked at the scheduling of these flights. I wonder if the flights were operating at different times, or on different days in the case of the Paris service, would the routes have been more successful. And, if the routes were marketed more, not just at home but also abroad, would these services have survived."