The CEO of Shannon Chamber, which represents a wide section of business and industries based at Shannon industrial estate, has described today's decision by Aer Lingus to permanently close its cabin crew base in Shannon as hugely disappointing for the airline's staff.
Helen Downes said Aer Lingus had planned to increase its presence at Shannon in February 2020 with a commitment to locate two aircraft there and launch services to both Barcelona and Paris.
"But the Covid pandemic has put all of those expansion plans in a spin and underlines once again the necessity for Government to put a clear roadmap in place for the aviation sector which has been so damaged by the impact of Covid", Ms Downes said.
"It’s essential that the Heathrow slots are retained which are so vital for business and attracting foreign direct investment to the area."
Local Councillor Pat McMahon, who is Chair of the Shannon municipal authority in the locality, said it is very disappointing news for staff and the long-term worry is it could be the start of the dismantling of Aer Lingus services from Shannon.
He said Ireland lost its "clout" at the airline once it became part of the IAG group.
He said the Aer Lingus Shannon slots at Heathrow were exceptionally valuable and it was vital these were retained for the three times daily Heathrow service for both business travellers and tourists visiting the west of Ireland.
Limerick Chamber has called on the Government to step in.
In a statement this evening, the Chamber's CEO Dee Ryan acknowledged that this has been a difficult time for the aviation sector, and described the news as "devastating" for staff and their families.
"Limerick Chamber is confident that market demand for services from Shannon Airport, including the critical Heathrow and transatlantic routes, will return once international travel resumes in post COVID era", Ms Ryan said.
"We look forward to the earliest possible indication from Aer Lingus of its intention to reinstate those routes as quickly as possible and we commit to working to support them in any way we can."
Ms Ryan said that in a meeting last September with Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister Hildegarde Naughton, the Chamber advocated for "direct intervention in support packages for airlines that would commit to reinstating critical links to regional airports and developing further new ones".
She called on the Government to "engage immediately with Aer Lingus to explore all options to protect the base and services from Shannon".
She said the regions outside of Dublin have been "worst hit economically by the pandemic" because of their reliance on tourism and hospitality.
"We cannot afford a lag in recovery time. It needs to happen in the regions as well as in Dublin and route connectivity is a critical piece of that recovery."
Independent TD for Clare Michael McNamara said the policies adopted by the Government and proposed by the opposition have made the situation in the aviation sector "far worse than in any other country in Europe".
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, Deputy McNamara called for a "proportionate response" and the "protection of lives and livelihoods".
He said counties on the west coast of the country have been "disproportionately affected" by the pandemic.
"The Western seaboard has been disproportionately affected by the response to Covid-19 because tourism has been specifically hindered by the Government, by the measures adopted by the Government and proposed by the opposition", he said.
