'Massive' fall in number of air passengers using Shannon

THE FALL in passenger numbers at Shannon airport is so dramatic that unless there is a turnaround it will become irrelevant and similar to a regional airport like Sligo or Kerry, the head of a Government taskforce on the midwest region has warned.

Denis Brosnan, chairman of the Mid-West Regional Taskforce, said a plan must be drawn up and funded to increase the number of passengers through the airport.

The former chief executive of Kerry Group confirmed that official figures to be released shortly will show that passenger numbers fell a further 12 per cent last year.

The number of passengers declined by 372,000 to 2.72 million in 2009 following a fall of 12 per cent or 500,000 in 2008 from 3.6 million the previous year.

Further declines are expected this year as Ryanair reduces the number of its aircraft at Shannon to only one from a peak of six.

“Something must be done to stop the decline in passenger numbers, which has been huge, steep and massive, before Shannon becomes irrelevant,” said Mr Brosnan.

He said a funded plan for the airport would benefit the wider area.

“This isn’t just for Shannon, this is for the whole well-being of the region. To preside over an airport that is losing 12 per cent of its passengers per annum? What is the endgame? I don’t know. Something must happen.”

Mr Brosnan said if Shannon was owned by private enterprise, it would be unviable.

The taskforce was set up after computer-maker Dell announced that it would lay off 1,900 workers last year. It published its interim report with 20 recommendations last July.

Mr Brosnan said there has been little or no progress by Government in advancing any of the recommendations.

“This region is in a bad state. It is declining so fast; declining faster than anywhere else in Ireland. The time for politics is over – we better do something.”

Mr Brosnan criticised the jobs record of the IDA and other State agencies Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development in the area.

“They are not working as far as we are concerned, and we can’t continue to have more of the same. Otherwise, high unemployment will be with us to stay.”

Mr Brosnan said the taskforce had yet to commence work on the second stage of its work to complete its final report. “Why start the second stage if there is no interest in the first stage?” he said.

He stressed that the final report would be completed this year.

Mr Brosnan said employment fell by 17 per cent in firms supported by State job agencies in 2009, compared to an average fall of 11 per cent in other regions.

He said one in seven people in the midwest were unemployed, with one in five under the age of 25 unemployed. The unemployment rate in the region was 1 per cent higher than in other areas.