Fianna Fáil manifesto is a major betrayal of Shannon

THE inclusion of a commitment to remove the 32 million passenger cap at Dublin airport as a major element of the Fianna Fáil General Election manifesto represents a major betrayal of Shannon and the wider Mid-West region.

That’s the view of Clare Fine Gael General Election candidate Leonora Carey who said that the removal of the Dublin passenger cap features among the nine priorities for tourism development outlined in the Fianna Fáil manifesto and also as a central element of the party’s proposals for improving airport connectivity and capacity.

“There are no proposals to use spare capacity at Shannon and Cork to relieve the unsustainable growth at Dublin airport nor for the establishment of a national aviation policy to address the critical imbalance in regional development,” Ms Carey declared.

“In the section dealing with tourism development, the Fianna Fáil manifesto clearly states: ‘Recognising the importance of Dublin airport for tourism development, we will remove the passenger cap at Dublin airport as soon as possible’.

“The manifesto is even clearer when it comes to the party’s proposals on transport and its proposals for improving airport connectivity and capacity where it states that ‘removing the self-defeating cap on flights at Dublin Airport is a priority for Fianna Fáil’.

“This is followed by a vague reference to ‘increasing the capacity and improving the connectivity of our regional airports in a sustainable way’ but the manifesto clearly identifies Dublin as the main driver of the Irish tourism industry,” Ms Carey explained. 

“Dublin Airport currently handles 86 per cent of Ireland’s air traffic and is one of Europe’s most congested airports. Yet, Shannon and Cork have ample capacity to accommodate five million more passengers without significant investment and this is completely overlooked in the Fianna Fáil manifesto.

“Shannon’s catchment area covers 38 per cent of Ireland’s population, yet the airport handles just four per cent of the country’s traffic. Half of the country’s foreign direct investment is based in the region which is also a major tourism hub. It should be easier for passengers in the Shannon region to fly directly to their destinations rather than being funnelled through Dublin. This would save time, cut carbon emissions from road travel, and reduce congestion in Dublin. 

“Domhnal Slattery, who is one of Ireland’s most successful aviation entrepreneurs, has said that the Irish Aviation Authority should focus on new long-haul routes at Dublin while directing more short-haul capacity to Shannon and Cork. This would boost Ireland’s connectivity and competitiveness across all regions. 

“Beyond economic benefits, a more diversified aviation strategy would reduce the risk of a single point of failure from incidents such as cyberattacks or other threats occurring at Dublin. Shannon also has the potential to become a development hub for sustainable aviation fuel which would not only strengthen Ireland’s aviation sector but also support the country’s green transition.

“The Fianna Fáil election manifesto fails to recognise that Shannon and Cork are capable of contributing to regional development and their inclusion in national aviation planning is essential for Ireland’s future prosperity,” Ms Carey concluded.