This article is from page 15 of the 2009-08-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
FEARS for jobs and services were raised afresh at Aer Lingus in Shan- non this week, with news that the airline are looking at ways to save another €130 million in spending cuts.
Company chairman, Colm Bar- rington revealed the need for more savings at a meeting involving pilots who want to see the Shannon/New York route restored.
He told pilots of the need for more cuts after they offered to work free for a month if the airline would re-
Store the Shannon route, and the Dublin San Francisco route.
Further changes are thought to be on the way with the company’s in- coming chief executive, Christopher Mueller due to join the airline on September 1, a full month ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey has today said that the news that Aer Lingus is working ona plan to target costs, including trans- atlantic services, will be a worry to the mid-west region.
Deputy Carey said, “The airline industry is facing a difficult period,
and Aer Lingus is no exception. But what I would ask is that key services and routes are safeguarded from any cost cutting measures. In particu- lar, the transatlantic services from Shannon have served Ireland and the mid- west well for generations. These routes are very important for business and tourism. I believe that once the US economy begins to pull out of recession, Ireland’s connec- tivity will again be a major factor in attracting inward investment to the mid-west region.”
He added, “We cannot allow deci- sions to be made now in a knee-jerk
fashion that will affect the region in the long run. I would hope in their current financial re-assessments that Aer Lingus management has learned from the Shannon-Heathrow affair. Those flights were pulled as a result of short-term thinking and now that the route has been returned, it has proved financially viable. Transat- lantic routes are profitable, if mar- keted and timetabled in the right manner. These routes are vital for business interests in the region.” The Mid West Regional Author- ity has pledged that the airport and tourism development are to remain
at the top of their agenda for the coming year.
Newly elected chairman Cllr Leo Walsh (FG) said that the authority is “determined to get on with its work” despite the threat of being scrapped under the recommendations of An Bord Snip Nua.
“We are involved in a big push in promoting tourism whether it 1s bringing visitors in through Shan- non or growing domestic tourism, and we are currently looking at ini- tiatives at Lough Derg, for example, that will be great for people who are interested in boating and fishing.”