This article is from page 15 of the 2008-03-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
THERE was bad news for Shannon Airport this week with the announce- ment that planned new flights to the US have been scrapped.
Maryland based operators Kenny Tours had planned to set up a link between Shannon and a number of US airports, including Niagara Falls International in North America.
Other airports which would have been part of the plan included Chica- go Rockford International, 68 miles
North-West of Chicago and Mid America St Louis.
Kenny tours had planned to start operations on the routes from June.
But the operators have now drawn back from opening the routes citing the weak dollar, high fuel prices and difficulties in securing aircraft for the Shamrock Express charter serv- oe
The company has not ruled out the possibility of reviewing the situation next year, sources in the industry have said.
It’s believed they are now looking at a longer lead-in time for the other routes, pencilling in a date in 2009 to allow time for marketing and to sign deals with US and Irish travel com- panies. Sources have also said this would also depend on factors such as fuel prices and airport charges and the opening up of the routes which is still by no means certain.
Meanwhile, airport director, Mar- tin Moroney, has said that despite the economic slump he is confident that transatlantic numbers will hold
up over the coming months. He said he believes that the airport has suc- cessfully managed the crisis of Aer Lingus pulling out of the Shannon to Heathrow route.
Mr Moroney said that the new con- nection to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris was being well received by people needing long-haul connec- tions in and out of Shannon.
“It is not all solved but I think the vast majority of customers say the re- placement CityJet service to Charles de Gaulle is fine and we are over
the hump…CityJet and Air France are very happy and they are get- ting a high 70 per cent load factor. Had Heathrow not been replaced it would have been a major loss to the uss :a (0) 0 ae
Mr Moroney said he expected Cit- yJet would grow the Shannon-Paris service, which currently provides two flights a day on a 50-seater air- craft.He added that airport bosses would continue to seek a Heathrow slot and to aquire other hub connec- tions, including Amsterdam.