The Mayor of Clare has called on Aer Lingus to invest more resources into the promotion of its existing transatlantic services.Councillor Madeleine Taylor Quinn pointed out that Aer Lingus did not have a valid reason at this stage to discontinue its direct service from Shannon Airport to New York, which the airline said today was being kept 'under close review'.
She said: “The New York to Shannon service is well supported during the winter months, as it has been for the past fifty years. Next month’s scheduled opening of US pre-clearance facilities at Shannon along with this week’s announcement by Delta Airlines that it will cease its Shannon-New York service in October after 13 years will further increase demand for this direct service. Considering Delta carried in excess of 30,000 passengers on the route each winter, Aer Lingus’s decision to cast doubt over the future of the service does not stand up financially or otherwise.”
“While I acknowledge the tough economic climate in which Aer Lingus is presently operating, it should be noted that the airline has done little to promote or advertise its transatlantic services. Few companies can expect to survive if they do not adequately promote their own services. The Mid West Region of Ireland, including Shannon Airport and the relevant regional development agencies, has invested huge amounts of time and resources into promoting Aer Lingus’s transatlantic services while the people of the region have used the service in great numbers”, added the Mayor.
