Major benefits for Shannon in Fine Gael election manifesto
CLARE Fine Gael General Election candidate Leonora Carey has welcomed her party’s commitment to review national aviation policy and maximise the use of Shannon Airport which will also benefit from becoming a hub for testing new aviation technologies.
The Fine Gael General Election manifesto, which was launched by Taoiseach Simon Harris on Sunday, calls for an urgent review of national aviation policy to maximise the use of regional airports including Shannon, Cork, Knock, Donegal and Kerry.
This follows a call from Ms Carey for the immediate introduction of an aviation policy as a way of ensuring that the national interest would take precedence over the short-term demands of airlines and the sectional interests of the Dublin tourism lobby.
“Shannon Airport management has made a compelling case for the Government to develop the Irish aviation sector across Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports by maximising services to the regions where passengers want to go and meets business and tourism needs,” Ms Carey declared.
“The manifesto also calls for the removal of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport on the basis that genuine issues such as noise pollution, sustainability and flight movements at night are dealt with. This approach will allow Dublin continue to bid for new routes and ensure sustainability across the country.
“The Irish Aviation Authority should introduce additional requirements to ensure that the limited capacity at Dublin Airport should focus solely on improving Ireland’s connectivity. This means that requests for new slots should prioritise new long-haul destinations not currently operated from Dublin.
“The national aviation policy review should ensure that any request from airline operators for surplus slots at Dublin Airport should include the offer of an equivalent slot at Shannon or Cork and no additional capacity on existing routes should be allocated to Dublin,” she explained.
“A major element of the Fine Gael manifesto focuses on the promotion of sustainability and the development of a National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Policy. In this context, the party’s commitment to support Shannon Airport as a hub for testing new aviation technologies is particularly significant.
“Along with promoting Shannon as an international centre for innovation, it would strengthen Ireland’s aviation sector and support the country’s green transition,” Ms Carey added.
She said that Shannon could also derive major benefits from Fine Gael’s proposals to develop Ireland’s air cargo infrastructure.
“The manifesto also includes a proposal to assess the feasibility of an all-island approach to strengthening speed to market and competitiveness of indigenous and FDI exporting firms, especially when it comes to the provision of air cargo infrastructure,” she concluded.
PHOTO: Leonora Carey (centre) with Shannon Group Head of Legal Affairs Rachel Leahy (left) and Chief Executive Mary Considine.