Cullen 'disappointed' at DAA resignation

The Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen, said today he was "disappointed" by the decision by a worker-director on the board of the Dublin Airport Authority to resign.

He declined to comment further saying the issue was a matter for the individual airport authority. "I can only say I am disappointed . . . there is a huge future for Dublin, there's a huge future for Shannon, there's a huge future for Cork. Of that there is absolutely no doubt," he said.

Siptu representative Mr Dermot O'Loughlin said he was resigning because a deal done by Shannon Airport Authority with Ryanair was a fait accompli and was made without approval from the Dublin Airport Authority board.

Mr O'Loughlin said had received details of the arrangement late on November 29th and emailed his concerns to the chief executive of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), Mr Oliver Cussen.

"What I didn't realise was that it was a done deal that they had already announced it to the press and it was a fait accompli. I didn't get answers and I remain to be convinced by the figures in the deal could work", Mr O'Loughlin told ireland.com.

Under the deal, Ryanair will launch nine new routes from Shannon to the UK and continental Europe from next May, investing €180 million in basing four craft at the airport.

The airport is offering a charge of €1.50 per departing passenger for the first 12 months of a five-year package. Mr O'Loughlin said in his letter to Mr Cussen that at such low rates "there may be no commercial value accruing to the Authority as a consequence" and that he remained to be convinced of the commercial viability of the plan.

He said his frustration was heightened by the fact that press had been informed of the deal before he had responded to the proposal.

Mr O'Loughlin was appointed as one of four interim worker directors to the DAA board in October. A ballot to elect four permanent worker directors will be held early next year.