Government Willing To Put Money On The Table For Strategic Routes At Shannon Airport - O'Donnell
Limerick Fine Gael TD and Chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, Kieran O’Donnell has welcomed the commitment given to him in the Dail on Tuesday by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar of the Government’s willingness to put money on the table to incentivise airlines to restore European and Transatlantic routes lost during the pandemic, including the three strategic air routes at Shannon Airport, namely Heathrow, Boston and New York:
"On Tuesday in the Dáil, I raised with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, that in line with US reopening to EU air travellers in November, that there is an urgent need for strategic routes supports at Shannon Airport for European and Transatlantic connectivity including the 3 strategic routes operated by Aer Lingus to Heathrow, Boston and New York respectively.
I greatly welcome that Tánaiste confirmed to me that Government are willing to put money on the table to incentivise airlines to restore routes that were lost during the pandemic, and that Government have a hierarchy of routes in mind for supports which include these three strategic routes from Shannon Airport."
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar:
“First of all, I want to join you in welcoming the fact that the Shannon-London Heathrow route is operating again, that route is Shannon and the Midwest opening to the world and it is really important that it is happening again.
I want to welcome President Biden’s announcement that fully vaccinated people from Europe will be able to travel to the United States again, and that allows us to get routes from Dublin and Shannon to the US up and running again.
I can’t go into details around discussions with any airlines but what I can say is that the Government will be willing to money on the table to incentivise airlines to restore routes that were lost during the pandemic.
And of course, in our mind we have a hierarchy of routes that are most important.
I don’t think the Deputy is too far of the mark in that regard.
This is a very positive development for Limerick and Midwest, Shannon Airport’s three strategic routes must now benefit from this commitment from Government that money will be put on the table to restore routes, ensuring the region regains its transatlantic connectivity and remains open to the world" concluded Deputy O’Donnell.
