Results 10,801-10,820 of 26,032 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are dealing with issues affecting the aviation sector. I welcome our witnesses. We are joined by Mr. Eddie Wilson, chief executive officer, of Ryanair. I thank him for coming back before the committee a second time. This is an extremely important issue. We are also joined by Mr. Donal Moriarty, interim chief executive officer, and Mr. Reid Moody, chief strategy and planning officer,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Mr. Wilson. Dr. Tony Holohan and NPHET will be appearing before the committee next week, and we will put the points raised by the witness to them. I now call on Mr. Moriarty to make his opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: Excuse me, Mr. Moriarty. Do you have much more of your presentation to make in terms of the time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is fine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: Thank you, Mr. Moriarty. You are probably aware that representatives of Rome airport will be appearing before the committee this afternoon to discuss rapid testing at the airports. That should shed some light on the matter. I now move to questions from the members. Deputy Darren O'Rourke has seven minutes and he must abide by that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Deputy O'Rourke. I shall now turn to my own questions, which I put to both witnesses. Mr. Moriarty made reference earlier to what he believes the Government will implement under the new traffic light system from 8 November, namely, that persons arriving from green list countries could go unrestricted without undergoing any test, that arrivals from orange list locations should have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: If this particular procedure is implemented by the Government on 8 November, will Ryanair have extra flights in the air flying in and out of Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: Correct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: Aer Lingus announced its summer schedule, which includes flights from Shannon and Cork airports. The Shannon-Heathrow route was to be restored. Will Mr. Moriarty tell the committee when that route will be restored? There are to be transatlantic routes to Boston and JFK. Will Mr Moriarty give the committee an update as to where Aer Lingus is on that? Is the Aer Lingus base in Shannon...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: What would encourage Aer Lingus to bring the Shannon-Heathrow route back as quickly as possible?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: What would Aer Lingus require in order to restore the Shannon-Heathrow route in December?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is very disappointing. This question is for Mr. Wilson. In terms of restoring the Ryanair bases at Shannon and Cork, do the new measures that will come in on 8 November give him confidence in that area? What is required to ensure that Ryanair can restore its permanent bases and proper complement of flights at both Shannon and Cork?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: In the limited time-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: In terms of what is due to come in on 8 November, is Mr. Wilson saying, even with that, Ryanair will have no flights out of either Shannon or Cork? What date did he mention?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: Even with this proposed traffic light system being introduced by the Government.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: What would Mr. Wilson need to see from the Government by 8 November to keep the flights at both Cork and Shannon?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: How would Ryanair regionalise in an Irish context when ours is such a small country?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: As Ireland is such a small country, how would Ryanair be able to regionalise?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is regionalisation in terms of flights out to other countries, not here in Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting the Aviation Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Oct 2020)

Kieran O'Donnell: I hope those measures will be in the Government's plan on 8 November because it would be hugely disappointing if Ryanair were to cease flights out of Shannon or Cork because they are vital for connectivity.