Seanad debates

Thursday, 1 October 2020

Aviation Industry: Statements

 

10:30 am

Photo of Seán KyneSeán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. As she and I know, a decade ago we lost our airport in Galway. At the time, we did not imagine we would be facing a situation where there would be a possibility of losing Ireland West, Shannon or Cork airports, although, hopefully, that will not be the case. Of course, the loss of Galway Airport at the time was based on the withdrawal of the public service obligation, PSO, as the new Galway to Dublin motorway opened.

Shannon, Ireland West and Cork are not just airports. They are intrinsic to their regions and their counties and, in the case of Shannon and Cork, intrinsic to Limerick city and Cork city, respectively. They provide much-needed employment to their areas and they provide connectivity to the west, the mid-west and the south. We know the foreign direct investment, FDI, sector is very important to Galway, Limerick and Cork. If travel ever comes back, companies that are headquartered and based in the United States will again rely on access to meet boards and management in those areas, which is very important.

We need to grow these areas. The Atlantic economic corridor, stretching from Donegal through the western counties, through Clare and Limerick and on to Cork, is something of which I am extremely supportive. It is something we need to grasp and promote. We need to connect the west and not allow it to be dismantled. To be parochial with regard to Ireland West Airport, as Senator Murphy said, Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo and Roscommon county councils and Galway city and county councils, on the basis of decisions they made, have a shareholding in the airport. That is a positive stamp of approval in regard to the importance of Ireland West Airport.

Last year, 2019, was a record one for the airport, which enjoyed growth of 5.4%, was served by Aer Lingus, Flybe and Ryanair and which added new routes from Germany.The year 2020 was forecast to be an equally strongly performing year but we know the impact of Covid. Flybe, a long-term partner airline in Ireland West Airport, was hit and ceased trading. The airport was closed from 30 March until 30 June and it is projected revenues for the year will decline by some €11 million, which will have a huge impact on the facility.

We need to be bold and ambitious. Senator Garvey spoke of the Shannon rail network connection, which I wholeheartedly support, but we first have to save the airport as we have to make sure there is an airport there to connect with. I agree rail is something we need to look at but we need to secure the airport as well. Transatlantic services are key to that, as is expansion to key tourist destinations in Europe.

In its communications, Ireland West Airport has called on the Government, in advance of next month's budget, to commit to providing urgent supports to an expanded regional airports programme for the airport to address the extraordinary financial losses projected for 2020 as a result of the travel restrictions and the impact of Covid-19. It wants to implement the recommendations of the recently published aviation task force report for 2020, to which the airport was a member contributor, and put in place the appropriate financial supports with airlines to support and incentivise the restoration of critical air access into the west and north west. It wants to adopt the European Commission's traffic light system to open up international travel across Europe immediately, while ensuring a high level of human health protection. This will facilitate the timely opening up of key markets for the airport, particularly in the UK, in a safe manner over the winter period.

I agree with others that the green list has not worked and I think we need to adopt a Europe-wide approach to our airports to secure their short-term future and, more importantly, their medium-term and long-term future. We will get over Covid at some stage in the future but we do not want a situation where, when we finally get the all-clear and Covid either dies out miraculously or due to a vaccination programme, we have to come in here to ask why more supports were not provided for Shannon, Ireland West and Cork airports.

I wish the Minister of State well in her role. I know she will be a strong advocate at Cabinet for the airports in the west and south. That support can and must be provided.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.