Every little helps as BA gives boost to Shannon

One More Thing:It looks as if British Airways boss Willie Walsh will put some business Shannon airport's way after all.

Last month Walsh told a gathering of Irish business journalists in London that there was no chance of BA flying from Heathrow to the Co Clare airport and that he saw few growth opportunities for Shannon arising from the soon-to-be-launched Open Skies agreement. Dublin simply had more to offer visitors from across the Atlantic, he said.

But it now seems that Shannon is very firmly on Walsh's radar. BA recently revealed plans to launch a twice-daily business-class service from London City Airport to New York some time next year.

The Airbus A318 aircraft will have just 32 seats that convert into flat beds and the service is being directed towards executives who want to avoid the stress and hassles of Heathrow.

London City's relatively short runway, however, means that BA will have to take off with a lighter than normal fuel load for the transatlantic journey, which is where Shannon comes into the equation.

BA is expected to use Shannon for a 40-minute refuelling pitstop on the way to New York, with the executives required to disembark from the aircraft.

This should be enough time for passengers to pre-clear US immigration and do a bit of duty-free shopping.

It won't earn Shannon a fortune but with Aer Lingus having taken flight with its Heathrow slots and the compulsory transatlantic stopover going at the end of March, every little helps.