Mr. Niall MacCarthy:

As Senator Dooley knows, there are two seasons in aviation: summer, which is April to October, and winter, which is October to April. This summer is cooked. It is on sale, so the schedules are done and there is nothing we can do. This winter is largely on sale as well, so the winter is set. What is up for grabs is summer 2025, the marketing season for which will start shortly. Dublin will not cross-subsidise us, nor should it, by offering incentives to airlines to move. We have our own P and L accounts. Dublin has regulated P and L accounts and cannot cross-subsidise us. For us and Shannon to get ready with decent incentives, they would need to start now and run to October for next summer, so the game is on.

How the regulator would reduce slots is to be determined. He will probably say “No new routes” rather than “Stop assigning routes” and then tell all airlines to lose 4%. It will not be defined routes that are up for grabs, but capacity in its various forms.

Shannon has published a healthy P and L account. The airport needs to be sharpening its incentives and getting ready for next summer.