This article is from page 19 of the 2006-07-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 19 JPG
IT’S now cheaper to fly one way from Shannon to Dublin than to make the same journey from Clare by rail.
The new Aer Arann fare of €39.99 one-way comes in cheaper than a one-way rail fare of €41.50 from Ennis.
The weekday flight has been in operation since July 3, departing Dublin at 4pm and Shannon at 5.25pm with a flight time of 50 minutes.
Passengers who want to use the new flight are mostly travelling on the Aer Lingus breakfast flight and using the new route in the evening for their return.
A spokeswoman for Aer Arann said that they were using the service as a barometer of demand and the airline would look at putting on more connections if the demand were there.
“Several years ago, we had three connections a day between Shannon and Dublin, but the expected demand didn’t materialise at that time. We will be monitoring the new service and would consider more flights if the numbers are there.”
The CEO of Ennis Chamber of Commerce, Rita McInerney, said that the service “is to be welcomed and we are lucky that we have the option of both the train and flights.”
She added that what many business people would opt for is to use the flight one way and also buy a return train ticket.
“People have time to use the return ticket again, particularly for travellers who go to Dublin regularly. What would be good would be if there were extra flight connections on either airline between Dublin and Shannon, one early in the day and one late so that people could book their travel with one airline. It would be more efficient and economical. The train is also proving very popular, particularly since there were extra connections put on for Ennis,” said McInerney.
The current return fare on the train is €48.50 for a five-day return.
A spokeswoman for Iarnrod Eireann said that the fare represents good value when compared to flying, both in terms of cost and convenience.
“With the train, you are right into the heart of the city. A flight means passengers travelling first to Shannon and then getting into Dublin from the airport. That can take an hour or more with traffic.”