Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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24. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress that has been made on passenger numbers in Shannon Airport following the decision of the Government to separate Shannon from the Dublin Airport Authority. [21524/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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A major consideration for the Government in its decision to separate Shannon airport from the DAA was the serious decline of passenger traffic at the airport over recent years. Shannon airport was loss making from 2008 to 2012 and passenger numbers plummeted by over 60% from a peak in 2007 of 3.62 million to 1.39 million in 2012.  A consistent decline on this scale was always going to be challenging to address.

The immediate priority for the new board and management of the restructured SAA was to halt this decline. While passenger traffic continued to decline in the first five months of 2013, June of last year witnessed the first monthly growth in passengers at Shannon in over five years and this trend continued with the period June to December showing a 6% increase on the same period in 2012. The US market proved to be the most successful in growth terms with traffic up 37% during the peak summer season.

With the initial focus first and foremost on arresting the previous annual traffic decline, the overall outturn for 2013 of 1.4 million passengers marginally exceeded the outturn for 2012 of 1.39m. This reversal of the serious slide of the previous five years is a major achievement for Shannon in its first year as an independent airport.

The passenger numbers between January and the end of April this year of 348,304 are an increase of 6.8% on the same period in 2013.  With the commencement of new routes and increased services, I know that Shannon airport is looking forward to new and sustainable growth of its passenger numbers this year and beyond.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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25. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has made any representations on behalf of Norwegian Airlines efforts to secure a licence from the US Department of Transport to fly from the EU to the US. [21475/14]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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27. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has made any representations on behalf of Norwegian Airlines efforts to secure a licence from the US Department of Transport to fly from the EU to the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21592/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 27 together.

These questions relate to the application by Norwegian Air International to the US authorities for a foreign air carrier permit to operate flights into the US.

Norwegian Air International (NAI) was granted an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and an Operating licence by the Irish Aviation Authority and the Commission for Aviation Regulation respectively on 12 February.  These licences were issued in accordance with EU legislation. NAI has applied to the US Department of Transportation for a permit to operate flights from the EU to the US in accordance with the EU-US Open Skies Agreement.  Under the Open Skies agreement, the parties have agreed to the reciprocal recognition of regulatory determinations made by the other side.

On 13 February I wrote to my counterpart in the US, Secretary Foxx, advising him that NAI had received an Air Operator Certificate and an Operating Licence from the competent licensing authorities in Ireland and indicating my support for NAI's application for a US foreign air carrier permit.