Check-in at Shannon Airport, County Clare

The Atlantic Connectivity Alliance formed in reaction to Aer Lingus’ decision to remove the Heathrow slots from Shannon Airport has called on the Government and other shareholders to vote for Ryanair’s proposal to rescind the move at the forthcoming Extraordinary General Meeting of Aer Lingus.

Speaking on Tuesday night after the inaugural meeting of the steering committee of the high-powered Atlantic Connectivity Alliance, its newly appointed Chairman John Brassil, who is also Chairman of the State development agency Shannon Development, said that Ryanair’s move is welcome in the context of enabling the Government to reverse the decision of the Aer Lingus executive management team of one week ago.

“We would welcome any proposal that would bring about a reversal of the decision to withdraw what is a key piece of infrastructure in what is a powerful economic region and we will be waiting with interest on the Government’s response in relation to Ryanair’s move.

“We are officially calling on the Government to back the proposal at the EGM to overturn the decision to remove these slots. The entire West, Mid-West and Midlands regions, across business, tourism and other sectors, is heavily dependent on these slots for connectivity to key international markets. It is incumbent on the Government that it does whatever is necessary to protect them now and into the future, in accordance with the spirit of the National Spatial Strategy for balanced regional development.

“The Government now has a clear opportunity to make a stand on this and force the reversal of a decision that should never have been made by the company.

“The Atlantic Connectivity Alliance will, in the meantime, maintain a vigorous campaign across a number of strands aimed at reversing this decision in the wider national economic interest,” Brassil said.