The Dublin Airport Authority did not tell management at Shannon airport of a threat to the future of flights to Heathrow even though it learned of a possibility that the service was to be discontinued in the middle of June.
A spokesman for the DAA said it did not pass the information on because it had been given to it in the strictest confidence.
Tadhg Kearney, a director of the Shannon Airport Authority, told RTE radio he was appalled at what he called a 'breach of faith' by the DAA. He said an emergency board meeting of the Shannon body was being arranged for tomorrow to discuss the issue.
The news follows revelations that the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, was not told of Aer Lingus's impending announcement that it was abandoning Shannon-Heathrow despite the existence of paperwork in his department highlighting the issue.
This morning the Irish Examiner newspaper says the Dublin Airport Authority knew of a strong likelihood of Aer Lingus's pulling its Shannon Heathrow service since June 13 but did not pass the information on to the Shannon Airport Authority.
Aer Lingus announced in August it was pulling out of the route. This morning a spokesman for the DAA said he rejected the use of the term 'strong likelihood'. He said the authority knew there was a possibility the service would be withdrawn.
