Madam, - The implications for the entire west of Ireland of Aer Lingus's abandonment of its Shannon-Heathrow service are devastating.
Having worked for 17 years in the airline and airline technology industry I know how things work behind the scenes. All airline booking systems whether internet, travel agency or airline in-house systems are driven by the same basic concepts. What appears as a route from A to B is built using a series of rules involving primarily three simple criteria - direct flights, connecting points and the amount of time spent at the connection point.
At Shannon we don't have many direct international flights. Yes, we have a lot of Ryanair destinations, and thank goodness for them. But Ryanair is not a global carrier nor is it likely to be and anyone coming from Beijing, Moscow, Sydney, Mumbai or Buenos Aires is not going to fly via Charleroi, Hahn or even Stansted. Connections into Shannon are critical for access to the west of Ireland from points around the globe.
Heathrow is the only remaining major European hub to which Shannon is connected. Other major hubs such as Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt or Amsterdam are not served from Shannon and have not been for some time.
The loss of direct services from the US into Shannon in the wake of the Open Skies agreement has already hit tourism in the west. The loss of connections via Heathrow will multiply this impact tenfold.
Moreover, international businesses already in the region will reconsider their location when the vital question of access is raised. New businesses will dismiss this region as ease of access is a basis criteria for any location decision.
I am delighted that Aer Lingus is making a commitment to Northern Ireland. This is a welcome step forward for our island. But to do so at such a monumental cost to the western regions is shortsighted in the extreme. If slots at Heathrow are required for Belfast, why not spread the cost between all of the Irish airports? Would Dublin really miss one of its 26 flights a day? For what purpose did we retain a national interest in Aer Lingus if the airline is to be allowed to ignore the national interest in this way? - Yours, etc,
KATHERINE WEBSTER, Director, Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre, Co Clare.
Madam, - Aer Lingus's decision to move its Shannon-Heathrow slots to Belfast is beyond comprehension.
I have been highly suspicious of Aer Lingus's anti-Shannon undertones for some time, and if ever we needed proof, we have it now. As a frequent business traveller on this route, I have to question the logic behind the move. The three daily flights from Shannon to Heathrow are always full, so does Aer Lingus think it will be able to cram more people into its flights by flying out of Belfast? Belfast already has eight flights a day with BMI to Heathrow, four flights a day to Gatwick with Flybe, three to London City airport with Air France, two to Stansted with Air Berlin. The people of Belfast are obviously not stuck for ways to get to London. The same however can not be said for the people of the mid-west: we are going to be very badly stuck.
If Aer Lingus wants the three slots for Belfast, why not take one of the 12 Dublin slots, one of the five Cork slots, and - if they have to - one of the three Shannon slots. But to just leave us high and dry is bordering on criminal. If ever we needed our politicians to stand up and be counted, and to use the voice they have on the Aer Lingus board, now is the time.
While the Aer Lingus move to Belfast is to be welcomed as a sign of the changing times on our island, it should not be done to the detriment of existing customers and services here in the Republic. How do we hope to attract business into the region, when we can't even fly to Heathrow, which is the main hub for connecting with onward flights to everywhere else? Please God it's not too late to stop this madness. - Yours, etc,
EAMONN O'REILLY, Garavogue Road, Raheen, Limerick.