Shannon, Get Off Your Asses and Be Proactive
Shannon, Shannon - what to do? Shannon Airport management should get up, dust themselves off and do something proactive on the REAL problem at hand and stop whinging over spilt milk. The real challenge Shannon must meet is the competitiveness of it?s airport offering.
I find it incomprehensible that the Powers That Be in Shannon Airport didn’t forsee Aer Lingus’ decision to move the Heathrow route to Belfast. Once Aer Lingus moved from being a wholely state run operation to a privately managed enterprise, all bets were off with respect to Aer Lingus commitment to Shannon or indeed, any airport it serves. Aer Lingus, just like any other private enterprise exists to satisfy the majority of it’s shareholders. I point out majority as moves to reverse the management decision would have to come from the share-holding grassroots and not just the Government.
Aer Lingus?didn?t decide?to move to Belfast for?just the scenery (which, I?m sure is very nice), but rather it saw that it could make bags more more money that way, despite competition from easyJet and BMI Baby.
So, what did Shannon Airport do? In an almost apologetic statement, they said that they could offer Aer Lingus a package that could shave 4 million of their costs annually. Aer Lingus management curtly refused this sweetener, committing itself to Belfast. apostrophe
Hand-wringing aside, this move accounts to a slap in the face to operators already flying into Shannon. What about them? Could this kick off a low-bidding war that will squeeze the financials of the airport? What would happen if Delta and other operators decided that they wanted to play hard ball too?
By taking a reactive role, Shannon Airport is letting airlines dictate the success of their business. Where has the inventive spark gone? How can small regional airports drum up business from European regional airlines so successfully, all while Shannon is always the bridesmaid and never the bride?
Shannon Airport, the Mid-West needs strong airline links. It’s in interests of your financial wellbeing and the region’s economic health to build and maintain them. So, get off you asses - cut prices, advertise and get Glenda Gilson to drap herself over the industrial seating in the Departures lounge!