The Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey announced last Friday that he will sign an agreement with the US Government this week. Dempsey believes the deal to be fantastic news for the country as it could see Ireland become a key hub for transatlantic flights.

Pat Shanahan of the Shannon Airport Authority welcomed the news describing it as a historic day for Shannon Airport. He expressed hope that Shannon Airport would thrive with the expected increases in transatlantic flights.

TD Willie O’Dea also welcomed the news describing the news as a watershed and a day when the future of Shannon Airport was secured.

The agreement means that all required inspections can now take place at Shannon Airport rather than in the US. Previous to this only immigration clearance could be given at Irish Airport with agriculture and customs clearance happening in the US.

Pat Shanahan of the Shannon Airport Authority spoke of the huge potential the deal offers with the possibility of extra flights meaning increased landing and handling charges swelling the coffers at Shannon Airport.

After a tough economic year for Shannon Airport this deal could not have come at a better time.

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The Shannon fire brigade as well as ambulances from Ennis was called to the scene as a precaution once news broke of the emergency landing. Extra help was also available from the Ennis fire brigade who were stationed at Dromoland on the Ennis-Limerick dual carriageway should their services be called upon.

Authorities at Shannon Airport said “United Airlines flight 952 was flying from Washington to Frankfurt. We were notified of the precautionary technical diversion at 5.30am. The aircraft had 190 passengers onboard and landed safely at 6.13am. Operations at the airport were not affected during the emergency landing”

It is still unclear however as to what the nature of the emergency was with the only official explanation being offered mentioning a “technical issue”. It is thought though unconfirmed that there was smoke in the cockpit of the plane which got into the flight deck.

Safety and fire crews carried out a full evaluation of the plane. A replacement plane was arranged to take the 190 passengers to Frankfurt.

O’Leary predicts that Ryanair passenger numbers at Shannon will be cut from 2 million to just 750,000. He went on to say that Ryanair will just have one aircraft based at Shannon Airport next year compared to the current four.

Less worried it seems are the authorities at Shannon Airport who spoke of an existing 5 year agreement with Ryanair. They say that Ryanair have agreed to raise its passenger numbers to 2 million at Shannon Airport by 2010 and that deal must be honored.

Shannon Airport has had to deal with bad news recently with the closure of the Heathrow route as well as major Aer Lingus staff cuts. They will be determined not to let Ryanair go easily.

O’ Leary blasted the Government for introducing the airline tax and spoke of possibly having to move his tax base in years to come if things get any worse.

1) The Cliffs of Moher

No visit to the Shannon region would be complete without a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are such a magical site to see and a wonderful place for a family trip. It is a quintessentially Irish spot.

The cliffs run for over 8km along the west coast of Ireland. Breathe in the crisp fresh air of the west coast while taking a relaxing walk or take a drive in your Shannon airport car hire taking in the sights at your own leisure.

The wonderfully picturesque village of Doolin is close and is worth stopping of in for a visit

2) Lahinch

Lahinch in C.O Clare is another exciting spot worthy of your attention. Home to a wonderful golf course and sea world leisure centre, there is something in Lahinch for all the family.

Those interested in trying their hand at surfing can take lessons at Lahinch Surf School. There are some great waves to catch and some good discounts available for groups.

There are plenty of trad sessions in the local pubs at night where you can sample an authentic Irish atmosphere.

3) Bunratty Castle

Bunratty castle and folk park are a must for any tourist exploring the Shannon region. It’s a fantastic place for learning about Irish history. The folk park features displays of Irish life centuries ago.

You can see villagers baking bread, sewing and making pottery. Another worthy option is signing up for the Earls Banquet. It is an authentic old time Irish meal with entertainment as would have been seen back in the day.

All these places are easily accessible in your Shannon car hire so check us out today for a very competitive quote.

Ryanair also stated that the introduction of these new routes will mean more departures will be possible for its currently existing routes from Shannon which include Paris and Edinburgh.

On the “not so good news” front, Ryanair plan to cancel their Shannon to East Midlands route and also will be offering fewer services from Shannon to Luton.

Ryanair currently operates 35 routes from Shannon Airport

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Speaking on RTE this morning, Mr Cawley from Ryanair stated - We have an agreement with Shannon and they have had a huge boost in passenger numbers with Ryanair now responsible for almost 66% of passengers. We have been a fantastic help to the Shannon region.

Once again pointing the finger squarely at the DAA (Dublin Airport Authority), Cawley laid the blame at their door for the problems with the Cork routes. Rumours that Ryanair went back on their word re: an agreement to a discount scheme at Cork were also dismissed

Cork Airport is set to lose over 100,000 passengers this winter.

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It has affected the tourism industry and the ordinary passengers. Heathrow is still a major concern for Shannon. City Jet, which operates daily flights from Shannon to Paris, has helped to cover the loss made by Aer Lingus.

A representative from Shannon Airport said that Ryanair is a significant contributor to their business.

The success of City Jet, begun midwinter but has yet to be proven. They are looking at the possibility of a connection to London Airport in the near future.

Cork Airport may actually be about to challenge Shannon as the countries 2nd busiest airport as Shannon passenger numbers have dropped by 9% since the beginning of 2008. This makes it a possibility that both airports will be neck and neck next to Dublin Airport in passenger numbers by the end of the year.

The budget carrier is still losing money and this could spell disaster for Shannon. A losing Ryanair is bad news for Shannon Airport.  Reports claimed that the airline could lose 60 million Euro by next year.

Ryanair’s management told a committee meeting that Shannon is one of its bases where they are losing a lot of money. They admitted that the company was making a loss at Shannon every year for the last three years. They said that the airline industry is in the midst of an economic storm due to the universal high prices of oil. 

Ryanair is very important for the continual growth of Shannon. The loss of the Aer Lingus Shannon Heathrow route was devastating and is still felt today.  However, these are just “worrying times” and Shannon Airport hopes that Ryanair can work through its current difficulties until a time when the global oil crisis is resolved,

BA announced that its aircraft would stop twice at Shannon everyday, to refuel the plane and allow passengers complete arrivals checks.  Mr. Moroney told the limerick post that they have business opportunities, which are helpful to Shannon, like transit traffic, where they claim revenue from landing charges.  They are happy for this agreement, as it will give revenue and jobs for the airport and providers.  They use this to attract more airlines.   If this relationship becomes successful, it is possible that BA will let even more transatlantic services land at Shannon.

Regarding discussions about BA reviving the Heathrow or Shannon route, Mr. Mooney said that progress has been made, but they do not have intentions at present to open the service in the near future.  However, Moroney gave assurances that he continue to engage BA on the possibility of a Heathrow or Shannon service.

In the autumn of next year, BA plans to begin operation of their Airbus 318 aircraft which is the largest plane to land or takeoff at London Airport.