A robust aviation recovery plan is missing , indicates the action of Aer Lingus’s decision to permanently close its crew base in Shannon Airport, that saw 81 crew redundancies, and as good as 45 ground staff being fired for now.
Count of around 4,500 passengers a day at Dublin Airport, as compared to 100,000 daily in the pre-pandemic era speaks for itself that goverment is keeping mum about aviation industry.
There is a growing alarm within the air travel industry at what is perceived as a lack of energy, focus and engagement from within Government on the resumption of air travel and tourism.
While Europe is planning to open up to vaccinated masses, demand in Ireland is growing to end the harsh restrictions on non-essential travel, and other couter productive measures.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary described the restrictions as “insanely stupid and ineffective”, adding that “all it does is present an image that Ireland is closed to visitors”.
Ryanair has been migrating its aircrafts from Dublin to bases in Spain, the UK and elsewhere and would not be moving them back this year, as per group CEO O’Leary.
At this juncture, Aer Lingus's decision to close the Shannon base is clearly a blow to the communicaion interests of west of Ireland and questions will arise on the €150 million loan given to Aer Lingus by the State .
Things were different in pre-pandemic conditions, Aer Lingus had announced a new Shannon-based aircraft and brought forward by one month the return of its seasonal service to JFK in New York.
“We are delighted to demonstrate our continued commitment to Shannon Airport and the wider region,” Aer Lingus’s then chief corporate affairs officer Donal Moriarty said at the time.
After pandemic , Aer Lingus hasn’t returned to shannon since March of last year, as it claims to have lost €1.1 million a day in the first quarter of this year.
Now, transatlantic services from Shannon and a regular service to Heathrow in London, are almost a rare possibility for Aer Lingus.
Willie Walsh, the current director general of the International Air Transport Association,says,
“As several international and EU markets begin opening up, Ireland is at risk of falling behind its key economic partners,” he will say, arguing for a “clear pathway” to reopening the aviation sector.
Ireland can't afford to loose the summer after summer to kill its tourism sector, its time for the Irish government to lay out its plans for restarting aviation.
