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, the Department of Transport confirmed that lengthy correspond- ence exists but has refused to release almost all of it on the basis that it is commercially sensitive, legally priv- ileged and part of the deliberative Reet
The schedule of records shows a total of 40 items of correspondence
between Ryanair, the SAA, the De- partment of Transport and the EU Commission from October 14, 2005 to March 7, 2006.
The department has also refused to release correspondence from the air- port authority and Ryanair refused to release information as it was given to the department “on the understand- ing that it would be treated in con- fidence, and contained commercially sensitive information”.
The correspondence also shows that the Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism also got involved.
The Ryanair deal with Shannon was struck in 2005 and the low-fares airline commenced flights from the
airport in May of that year.
Ryanair has clashed with the EU Commission on a number of occa- sions and it is understood that the Shannon investigation may be part of a wider probe into the airline’s dealings with airports throughout the EU.
The deal Ryanair negotiated at Shannon was available to any other airline that would use the airport as a base for its aircraft.
The Department of Transport was unable to comment on the investiga- tion last night and said that it would release a statement on the matter later this week. Ryanair now accounts for two-thirds of Shannon passengers and serves over 30 destinations from the
airport. The company now has a bill- board that reads “Welcome to Ryanair Country’ at the airport entrance.
Asked last year if Shannon was be- coming too reliant on Ryanair, SAA chairman, Pat Shanahan said,‘‘I don’t think so. For our short-haul business, Ryanair has been hugely successful. They have delivered on all the com- mitments they’ve made to us. The relationship has gone well, but they are not the only game in town and we haven’t given up on Aer Lingus basing an aircraft in Shannon for Eu- ropean routes.
“Ryanair is a significant player and the airline is committed to Shannon and to growing its traffic to two mil- lion,’ Mr Shanahan said.