New Future For Shannon Airport

Shannon Airport

“Today’s announcement by the Government that Shannon Airport is to separate from the Dublin Airport Authority into a new entity, which will include Shannon Development, is but the start of a challenging process which will take the airport in a new direction,” said Shannon Chamber’s president Damian Gleeson in Shannon

Acknowledging the joint effort that Ministers Varadkar and Bruton have had to make to reach their ground-breaking decision, Mr Gleeson said it will herald changes that will benefit the airport and the region, while retaining the collective expertise that has been built up over the years.

Commenting on the transfer of indigenous and foreign direct investment and tourism functions to Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and Fáilte Ireland, Mr Gleeson said the retention of certain Shannon Development skills and current Shannon Airport skills in the new entity was an important consideration, which the Ministers had taken on board in reaching their decision.

“As we have said in previous commentary, the corporate capability that has fuelled the region in the past is still present; the prospect of a new debt-free future will now re-energise those skills in an imaginative way.

“The work of the new Steering Group and its sub-groups, when formed, will now determine the future structure of the new entity. It’s a critically important phase, which will involve a number of strands, including mergers and transfer of staff. Today’s announcement is an important start to an exciting future for Shannon in terms of aviation activity and overall regional economic development. This future will herald a new model of collaboration between aviation, industry and tourism agencies, which will work for the betterment of the region at many levels.

“Shannon Chamber has always enjoyed a close working relationship with development agencies and key stakeholders in the region and looks forward to contributing, on behalf of its membership, to the decision making processes in the months ahead,” added Mr Gleeson.