This article is from page 4 of the 2008-08-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
SHANNON Airport got a major boost yesterday, having been cho- sen as the re-fuelling stop for Brit- ish Airways planned business-class only flights from London City to New York.
During the stop at Shannon, cus- tomers will benefit from a special arrangement that will allow them to complete USA arrivals checks, meaning they will by-pass the nor- mal arrivals checks when they land in New York and speed straight
through the airport.
British Airways confirmed that this was a major consideration in choosing Shannon.
It is expected the twice-daily flights will launch in autumn 2009.
The service – the only to offer long haul flights to and from London City – will offer a one-cabin business class product with 32 seats which will flatten out to become beds.
On the ground, customers will be able to arrive at the airport as Iit- tle as 15 minutes before departure. This combined with the ability to
by-pass the usual arrivals checks in New York will make it a very con- venient, particularly for business We MUL ECe
Robert Boyle, British Airways commercial director, said, “Many city workers will be able to get from desk to aircraft in as little as 30 min- utes. This combined with Shannon Airport’s ability to complete USA arrival checks during the planned refuelling stop will ensure custom- ers can make the most of their time and travel desk to desk in the quick- est time possible.”
Airport director, Martin Moroney, welcomed the announcement. “To have a stellar aviation brand like British Airways select Shannon as the stop-over airport for this exclu- sive service 1s a real vote of confi- dence in the future of Shannon Air- port. Shannon has a long history as a transatlantic gateway, having been Ireland’s designated transatlantic airport as far back as the 1930s and we hope this new arrangement with British Airways is the start of a long and successful relationship,” seme BCCe