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The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) notes the announcement by the Minister for Transport today (Friday), that the current Ireland-US bilateral agreement requiring 50% of all scheduled transatlantic flights between both countries to take-off and land at Shannon Airport, will be phased out from November 2006 and that a full “Open Skies” regime will commence from the Spring of 2008. This development presents opportunities and challenges for the DAA.
In response to these changing circumstances it is important that the employees of Shannon Airport, who have shown great resourcefulness and commitment for more than five decades, embrace the Programme for Commercial Viability currently on offer to them.
Shannon Airport needs to address its underlying financial difficulties and place itself on a self-sustaining commercial footing so it can continue to attract and develop a balanced and profitable mix of aviation traffic with the UK, Continental Europe and the US and serve as the principal engine of economic and tourism growth for the West of Ireland.
The DAA welcomes the Minister’s announcement that he has obtained assurances from Aer Lingus that it will maintain current levels of transatlantic traffic from Shannon including regular year-round services with Boston and New York. This platform allied to a more rigorous commercial approach will serve Shannon Airport well in a fast-changing aviation environment.
Today’s announcement also presents opportunities and challenges for Dublin Airport and places even greater focus on the Airport’s €1.2bn, ten-year capital investment programme, beginning next year. This investment is essential to provide the terminal and airfield capacity required to accommodate up to 30m passengers per annum within the next decade and the mix of short and long haul aviation traffic that today’s announcement is likely to augment.
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