Delta Airlines may pull out of Ireland

Delta Airlines will pull out of Ireland at the end of the summer season if it has to provide equal service to Dublin and Shannon…

Delta Airlines will pull out of Ireland at the end of the summer season if it has to provide equal service to Dublin and Shannon in winter, the president of the US Tour Operators Association Mr Bob Whitley warned yesterday.

Delta, which has frequently signalled it is unhappy with the Shannon stopover, recently projected a revenue loss of $350 million (€398 million). Mr Whitley said that, in response to financial difficulties, a disturbing pattern was emerging where airlines were cutting capacity, consolidating flights and even pulling out of some routes to cover revenue costs. With Aer Lingus cutting Atlantic capacity by one-third by dropping the Newark and Baltimore routes, Ireland could not afford to lose any more direct air service.

Delta did not comment last night on its intentions, except to say that Mr Whitley did not speak on its behalf.

Mr Whitley's comments came as he warned an Irish audience that Ireland would have to fight to maintain its share of the inward American tourist market.

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He told members of the Incoming Tour Operators Association in Dublin: "The Government must now take off the blinders and realise that the airlines will simply remove the aircraft to a more profitable and less-restricted route if they continue to be handcuffed.

"They must also have the confidence that, given the option, tourists coming to Ireland will select Shannon as their gateway of choice."

A spokesman for the Department of Public Enterprise said he was not aware formally or otherwise that Delta was pulling out of Ireland. The stipulation that for every flight that lands in Dublin one must land in Shannon - the so-called 50/50 policy - was fundamental to the Government's regional policy and there were absolutely no plans to change it.

Mr John Healy, president of the Incoming Tour Operators Association, said last night: "It would be a very serious situation if they pull out of Ireland. They have been selling Ireland for as long as I can remember."

Mr Whitley said the biggest threat to the Irish tourism industry's US business was coming from Britain. He said Britain's tourist industry had suffered more than most destinations as a result of foot-and-mouth and September 11th. The British Tourist Authority had allocated more than $28 million to promote inbound travel from the US. Greece, Turkey, Australia and Mexico also had announced multi-million dollar promotions.