More than 6,000 United States-bound passengers, originating from the Munster and Connacht region and forming a three-day Shannon backlog, are hopeful of getting to their final destinations this weekend.
Mr Norman Mineta, secretary of the US Transportation Department, in a statement on Thursday, said that only aircraft which had entered Canadian air space would be allowed to enter the US at this stage. Canadian airports at Halifax, Gander and Goose Bay in Labrador have been crowded out with aircraft since Tuesday while passengers have found in most cases spartan accommodation.
About 5,000 passengers who were booked on Aer Lingus flights have been held up since the terrorist attacks on Tuesday. Most of them did not travel to the airport on advice from the airline and those who had been waiting up to yesterday morning returned home.
On the other hand, more than 600 passengers who were due to fly out on two Delta Airlines jets are being accommodated at hotels in the Shannon region.
Father Tom O'Gorman, the local curate, learned of their plight and made an announcement at the evening Mass at Shannon. "The community were wonderful and responded immediately by providing accommodation for the stranded passengers," he said.