| Gloom in the air |
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| Tuesday, 02 September 2008 14:11 | |
 FEARS that budget airline Ryanair could be planning to pull the plug on routes out of its base in Shannon were calmed this week.But staff at Aer Lingus are facing several weeks of an agonised wait to see if management are planning to sacrifice jobs or wage rates in the face of massive mid-year losses for the airline. After announcing that he is dropping the East Midlands and Glasgow routes out of Cork last week, maverick airline boss, Michael O’Leary warned he would do the same thing at Shannon if charges increase there. The board at Shannon are believed to be upbeat about the prospects for their deal with Ryanair when it comes up for renewal in 2010. A spokesman for the board said last night that the “Ryanair base at Shannon has performed very well. There’s a very strong and positive working relationship with Ryanair and we look forward to working with the airline beyond 2010”. O’Leary has blamed rising costs at Cork for the decision to pull the routes and had warned that any increase in costs at Shannon would provoke a similar move. Meawhile, Aer Lingus workers at the airport still have no idea whether the airline will again look to them to make savings for the company after announcing €22.3 million in losses in the first six months. SIPTU representatives say they are not going to anticipate any move by the company, but are pointing out that staff have taken the brunt of the cuts in the past and cannot be expected to solve the difficulties caused by rising oil prices. There was further speculation about the future of the airline’s transatlantic route to Chicago, which flies to Dublin via Shannon. The airline issued a strong denial that it was considering dropping the route after revelations of falling passenger numbers. Elected representatives have said they don’t trust the airline after it removed the Shannon Heathrow slots and transferred them to Belfast. |