This article is from page 4 of the 2007-12-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
, the airport boss said that the move by Cityjet “allows us to reinstate con- nectivity to a major EU hub. The
new routes will begin in February so there will be very little between this and the end of the Heathrow route.”
He added that both Heathrow and Charles De Gaulle “have their own advantages. Charles de Gaulle has very good connectivity to the Mid- dle East while Heathrow has better connection with the US. Shannon al- ready has good connections to New York and Boston so the Charles De Gaulle connection is a good fit for iS
‘We would like to have connections to at least two of Europe’s four main hubs. Now that we have the Paris
connection, we will continue to work towards a route into Amsterdam.”
Meanwhile, the authority has also revealed details of a “significant incentive’ aimed at securing year- round transatlantic service of the west of Ireland gateway.
The incentive provides for a reduc- tion in airport charges over a three- year period and is aimed at encourag- ing airlines to commit to year-round scheduled operation with a minimum of three weekly return services.
Qualifying airlines will benefit from a maximum 50 per cent in air- port charges over the five-month pe-
riod from November to March, which represents the winter schedule.
Commenting on the _ incentive, Martin Moroney, Airport Director said, “The purpose of this Traffic Development Scheme is to encour- age airlines to retain and further develop year-round services as these are critical for Shannon and the west of Ireland. While demand is quite strong in the summer months ow- ing to the attractions of the west of Ireland and industrial base in the Shannon region, it 1s more difficult for airlines to sustain service in the winter period.”