Mr. Kenny Jacobs:

There are things that can happen. Pre-clearance is fantastic. Management at other airports come to Ireland and say it is fantastic. They really want to get it. The Americans are not going to be giving out that much of it anymore, so it is a unique advantage for Shannon. I was in the US recently telling airlines that pre-clearance worked well for Delta Airlines and American Airlines. The DAA actively has conversations with the American carriers telling them that the pre-clearance system in Shannon is great, it is a good airport and they should be thinking about Shannon.

Getting an engineering hub at an airport, which Shannon has – it also has a great deal of space on the campus, with many sheds available – is a good way to get the airlines there, as they could then base their engineering there. Lufthansa is doing that. Airlines would also add aircraft to Shannon as a result.

Shannon is seeing more chartered operations in the summer months for people from the south of the country to the classic holiday destinations in Turkey and Greece.

There needs to be an incentive scheme for the key airlines – Ryanair and Aer Lingus – to base more aircraft at Shannon. That is where the competition will come in with Cork.