Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, for taking time out of his extremely busy schedule to accommodate me with this Commencement matter. As he is aware, I have raised previously the issue that Shannon Airport is the only international airport in the country without a European hub. I am framing this debate specifically in the context of Brexit. Shannon Airport's connectivity to the world is through Heathrow Airport, which is a great hub in terms of connectivity. In regard to worldwide connectivity, it is ranked 13th and first in terms of Europe connectivity. However, in the event of a hard Brexit, or whatever form Brexit takes, and we are now only four months away from it happening, third or fourth traffic rights for passengers coming through airports will be expected to be within any deal, but co-chairing may not be included. Currently, someone wishing to fly with, say, Aer Lingus, from Shannon Airport to Australia, for example, via Heathrow Airport, under current co-chairing arrangements they will be able to book that flight through Aer Lingus, get a connecting flight in Heathrow and travel on to Australia. However, under what is now being proposed by the European Commission, co-chairing may not be applicable. That means Heathrow Airport may not have the level of connectivity that Shannon Airport needs.

I met with the Shannon Group in recent weeks and relayed my discussion with them to it. I requested that it make a submission to him as the Minister responsible looking for a Brexit strategic route development fund to establish a European hub, thereby ensuring that Shannon Airport is Brexit ready. That could be in Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Effectively, it would be a major European hub. In terms of the last time Shannon Airport had a hub, CityJet was flying into Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport up to 2009 and Ryanair was flying to Paris Beauvais up to 2016.However, we will be utterly exposed in the event of a hard Brexit in terms of connectivity through Shannon Airport if there is no European hub. As a result of the fallout from Brexit, it may become difficult to secure access through Heathrow as a European destination.

I wish to put a couple of statistics to the Minister. Of all traffic through Heathrow, 45% provides onward connection. Of all traffic going through Shannon Airport, 46% goes to Heathrow. The mid-west region has well over 120 foreign direct investment companies. Shannon Group alone supports 46,000 jobs in our region. Under the Project Ireland 2040 plan, we are looking for balanced regional development. In the event that we do not have proper European and worldwide connectivity following Brexit, the mid-west and west will be put at risk in the areas of jobs and tourism, which is hugely important for us. The airport is actively engaging with airlines now to establish a European hub and I ask the Minister to consider the proposal he received in that regard last Friday. I ask him to take it under serious advisement. The issue is not solely about the airport. It is about the mid-west and western regions, balanced regional development under Project Ireland 2040, the protection of jobs and investment and inward tourism.

Support will be needed by way of a strategic route development fund to help the airport to establish a European hub quickly to ensure we are Brexit ready should access through London Heathrow not continue in its current form. A key element is code-sharing, which means it will not be possible to book a flight through Shannon and onwards through Heathrow. That would not be facilitated any longer under code sharing. I hope the Minister will consider this matter in the spirit it is raised. This is about Ireland Inc., Shannon Airport and the Limerick, mid-west and western regions.