Shannon Airport Thread [Mod Warning in First Post]

highlydebased

Brennans Row wrote: »

Shannon Airport air traffic down -4.2% for March (IAA)

I wonder was this drop due to the fact that the Easter vacations had started earlier last year in March?

Commercial Movements would mean the number of commercial aircraft arriving/departing regardless of the number of passengers onboard, so timing of Easter is not related.

Brennans Row

highlydebased wrote: »

Commercial Movements would mean the number of commercial aircraft arriving/departing regardless of the number of passengers onboard, so timing of Easter is not related.

Don’t airlines add extra flights to their schedule during the peak vacation periods like Christmas, Easter, etc?

Any ideas yourself that would explain the drop in movements for March?

Jamie2k9

Brennans Row wrote: »

Don’t airlines add extra flights to their schedule during the peak vacation periods like Christmas, Easter, etc?

Any ideas yourself that would explain the drop in movements for March?

There wouldn't be a lot added during Easter however it probably had some effect on traffic however EI service to BOS would of given extra movements and the JFK service.

highlydebased

Brennans Row wrote: »

Don’t airlines add extra flights to their schedule during the peak vacation periods like Christmas, Easter, etc?

Any ideas yourself that would explain the drop in movements for March?

Same reason for the decline throughout the winter period- just less flights overall and much less troop stopover activity too.

Brennans Row

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

. . . . however EI service to BOS would of given extra movements and the JFK service.

Then movements must have dropped even more elsewhere?

highlydebased wrote: »

Same reason for the decline throughout the winter period- just less flights overall

I don’t follow you there.

Are we not comparing one winter period with another i.e. March 2014 with March 2013?

highlydebased wrote: »

. . . . . and much less troop stopover activity too.

That’s very likely as the transit traffic (troop stopover) has been falling year on year.

So will we be seeing even less and less from Omni Air International?



Omni Air International 767 arriving from Fort Dix, NJ. while Omni 777 holds short of 24 for it journey across the Atlantic.

Image by Birrlad from 5th April 2014.

Brennans Row

A Step Closer to 'Legal' Shannon Group (Clare Champion)

The Cabinet on Tuesday agreed the final text of the State Airports (Shannon Group) Bill, which will finally and formally establish the Shannon Group as a legal entity incorporating Shannon Airport Authority and Shannon Development.

Brennans Row

Aviation Fund (Limerick Post)

The board of Shannon Airport has welcomed news this week of a €500,000 fund to boost start-up businesses in the aviation sector as part of the Enterprise Ireland Competitive Start Fund.

In a statement to the Limerick Post, a spokesman for the Shannon Group said that the Shannon International Aviation Services Centre was focused on developing the airport’s business cluster and the Enterprise Ireland Fund would support that policy.

“It is another step in the right direction for the sector and we look forward to working closely with Enterprise Ireland so that successful applicants for the funds are not just based here but are supported in every way possible by us”, he said.

It may be a small fund but if the right start-up candidates can be identified, who knows what will develop from it.

Brennans Row

Aviation authority sees pre-tax profits of €21m (Irish Examiner)

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) last year recorded “a very strong” financial performance with pre-tax profits increasing by 45% to €21.34m.

According to its 2013 annual report, the authority had saw the sharp increase in profits in spite of revenues dropping marginally from €175m to €173.5m.

In his report, IAA chief executive, Eamonn Brennan said that the authority’s financial performance in 2013 was very strong.

The figures show the authority’s operating profit of €25.7m was 12% up on the €22.85m recorded in 2012 with much lower finance expenses of €4.5m resulting in the higher increase in pre-tax profit.

Overall remuneration for Mr Brennan last year totalled €352,000 made up of a basic salary of €232,000; pension contributions of €79,000 and taxable benefits of €41,000. His remuneration was marginally down on the €357,000 he received in 2012.

Salary costs for the IAA’s 677 staff totalled €60.29m or on average €89,054 each. Mr Brennan said the authority’s operating expenses fell 2.8% to €147.9m “mainly reflecting the continued efforts of the authority to reduce its operating costs”. Net defined pension liability stood at €113.8m last December which represented an improvement of €13.5m compared with 2012”.

Revenues are made up of €115.5m or 66.5% of turnover generated from en route navigation services for overflights while north Atlantic communications services accounted for €18m.

The annual report says the authority generated €21.4m in revenues from providing terminal navigation to Cork, Shannon and Dublin airports while the IAA generated €16m in safety regulation.

Now that the Cabinet has approved the Bill for the Shannon Group Plc, today would be a good opportunity for Shannon’s financial controller to take out of the drawer a copy of the Booz Report.

Then after reading page 6 on costs, where it states . . . .

Booz & Company consider that, in relation to Shannon Airport, . . . . . . the fixed costs of 24-hour operations that cannot be avoided, the airport should look to explore ways of recovering the costs associated with its status as an emergency diversion airport.

For example, this could include exploring the possibility for some revenue sharing with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).

. . . . he should then pop over to the Shannon Air Traffic Control Centre and discuss this cost item with Eamonn Brennan in person.

See previous posts.

Shannon Air Traffic Control Centre

Booz Report - Emergency Diversion Airport

Shannon should ‘review’ €2m costs of transatlantic emergencies

GCU Flexible Demeanour

Brennans Row wrote: »

Now that the Cabinet has approved the Bill for the Shannon Group Plc, today would be a good opportunity for Shannon’s financial controller to take out of the drawer a copy of the Booz Report.

Then after reading page 6 on costs, where it states . . . .
. . . . he should then pop over to the Shannon Air Traffic Control Centre and discuss this cost item with Eamonn Brennan in person.

See previous posts.

Shannon Air Traffic Control Centre

Booz Report - Emergency Diversion Airport

Shannon should ‘review’ €2m costs of transatlantic emergencies

Just in passing, I never got any reply from them as to whether there is any actual requirement on Shannon to stay open on Christmas Day. Can I suggest that Shannon is unlikely to get €2 million out of anyone for staying open for one day of the year.

As previously discussed, the Booz report seemed to be repeating locally-made assertions; no-one has actually identified any requirement for Shannon to stay open on Christmas Day.

Brennans Row

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

Just in passing, I never got any reply from them as to whether there is any actual requirement on Shannon to stay open on Christmas Day. Can I suggest that Shannon is unlikely to get €2 million out of anyone for staying open for one day of the year.

Actually at the time we were discussing the €2 million costs involved for a 24/7/365 emergency service at Shannon Airport and IAA’s role regarding Shannon being a common diversion airport for the Atlantic routes (Procedure A).

Maybe you should re-read your query as I’m sure that was the context you wanted clarified at the time with the IAA and not whether why Shannon was opened on Christmas day or not.

I would suggest you re-read those posts again and pay a bit more attention to the detail we discuss here.

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

As previously discussed, the Booz report seemed to be repeating locally-made assertions; no-one has actually identified any requirement for Shannon to stay open on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day is not even mentioned in the Booz report.

I think it was only yourself that brought up Christmas Day, possibly because your local Dublin Airport closes on that day.

P.S. If there is any apostrophe wrongly inserted above then do let me know! :rolleyes:

JCX BXC

Just looking at shannon passenger numbers compared to cork, and shannon used to be bigger then cork in terms of passenger numbers!
Cork did crash 28% between 2008-2012,but Shannon dropped 56% in the same period. (Passenger numbers)

Between 2006 and 2013 passenger numbers 61%

GCU Flexible Demeanour

Brennans Row wrote: »

Christmas Day is not even mentioned in the Booz report.

But, as indeed you know, it should be as that's the only day on which there isn't an alternative. The "365" thing is just gas, to try to give the thing legs. Like hiring a bunch of dancers to pretend to be a flash mob, and then hiring a few more dancers to pretend to film them with their phones.

Brennans Row wrote: »

P.S. If there is any apostrophe wrongly inserted above then do let me know! :rolleyes:

The world would be a happier place if that was the only error.

JCX BXC

Just reading reviews about Ireland.
In about 10 of them, they said Dublin Is A nightmare and Shannon is much better. The Car hire in dublin is also meant to be poor.

Shannon needs to be marketed right. It also need the support of airlines.
Aer Lingus are not helping their. If you want to fly uk to us with aer lingus, they will not fly you into shannon, it is a dublin only affair. Ryanair seem to be backing knock for some strange unknown reason.

Pros For Shannon.

*Galway and Sligo are gone! Less competition.
*Many new routes in the past few years, or old ones restarted.
*Us preclearance.
*Great history and Innovation. :- First Duty-Free, First Us pre clearance outside of North America and home place of Irish Coffee.
*Cheapest Airport parking in Ireland! (Used to be very expensive)
*Large catchment area, :- Limerick-Ennis-Galway for European Flights, Whole west and south coast for Transatlantic.
*Motorway directly to galway due to be finished.
*Practically any plane can land at shannon.

Cons For Shannon.

*National Airline Of Ireland has very little interest in the most historic airport in ireland.
*Lack Of connections in ireland.
*Kerry, Knock and Cork taking from european traffic (Sorry cork!).
*Bad transport links.
*No rail service/ shuttle bus.
*Massive declines in traffic until this year.
*Not used for connections often, large amount of wasted potential.

So reading that, Will shannon survive? Will it do well? Could It pass cork again? (In terms of passenger numbers)

Poxyshamrock

Carnacalla wrote: »

Pros For Shannon.

*Galway and Sligo are gone! Less competition.
*Many new routes in the past few years, or old ones restarted.
*Us preclearance.
*Great history and Innovation. :- First Duty-Free, First Us pre clearance outside of North America and home place of Irish Coffee.
*Cheapest Airport parking in Ireland! (Used to be very expensive)
*Large catchment area, :- Limerick-Ennis-Galway for European Flights, Whole west and south coast for Transatlantic.
*Motorway directly to galway due to be finished.
*Practically any plane can land at shannon.

I'm afraid Shannon have stolen that claim to fame! It was invented in Limerick not Clare!

JCX BXC

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I'm afraid Shannon have stolen that claim to fame! It was invented in Limerick not Clare!

It was invented in foynes.....
Close enough to shannon.
I have heard PLENTY of people refer to shannon as limerick.

highlydebased

Carnacalla wrote: »

Aer Lingus are not helping their. If you want to fly uk to us with aer lingus, they will not fly you into shannon, it is a dublin only affair.

They're offering connections via SNN for flying US-UK. If you're flying to MAN or BHX you only have to spend 40-50 min on ground at SNN.

JCX BXC

highlydebased wrote: »

They're offering connections via SNN for flying US-UK. If you're flying to MAN or BHX you only have to spend 40-50 min on ground at SNN.

Yeah but you have to book seperately and your bags wont be transfered.

highlydebased

Carnacalla wrote: »

Yeah but you have to book seperately and your bags wont be transfered.

No you don't- all through ticketing. Here's a quick search I just did...

JCX BXC

highlydebased wrote: »

No you don't- all through ticketing. Here's a quick search I just did...

Wow! I could never get that.
Im now looking at a ryanair ad...........
London is still dublin only....

notharrypotter

Just in passing, I never got any reply from them as to whether there is any actual requirement on Shannon to stay open on Christmas Day.

You never posted the actual e-mail you sent dispite being requested to do so:)

Brennans Row

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

But, as indeed you know, it should be as that's the only day on which there isn't an alternative. The "365" thing is just gas, to try to give the thing legs. Like hiring a bunch of dancers to pretend to be a flash mob, and then hiring a few more dancers to pretend to film them with their phones. The world would be a happier place if that was the only error.

Your reply is pure cynical waffle.

In your original post, where you stated . . . .

"Can I suggest that Shannon is unlikely to get €2 million out of anyone for staying open for one day of the year."

. . . . is at blatant odds with what was originally discussed.

To leave that post uncorrected would undermine anybody having a truthful discussion with you on Shannon again.

If you had any bit of common sense you should have realised that the “Shannon Airport Flashmob” video was a professionally choreographed dance.

The credits appear at the end of the video.

With the Shannon Airport logo and url appearing on the video, it is blatantly obvious to anybody watching it on youtube that it was a promotional spot.

Your petty nitpicking on the use of an apostrophe in the word passengers below tells more of a person who harbours deep anti-Shannon sentiments, where you let out no opportunity to knock the airport where you can.

It is this negative spirit that motivates you to post here.

Celebrating 37 summer destinations, 9 new routes and the Cheapest Airport parking in Ireland, Passenger's at Shannon Airport were recently treated with a talented Flash Mob by Students from the Irish world Academy of Music and Dance.

relaxed

Brennans Row wrote: »

Your reply is pure cynical waffle.

In your original post, where you stated . . . .

"Can I suggest that Shannon is unlikely to get €2 million out of anyone for staying open for one day of the year."

. . . . is at blatant odds with what was originally discussed.

To leave that post uncorrected would undermine anybody having a truthful discussion with you on Shannon again.

If you had any bit of common sense you should have realised that the “Shannon Airport Flashmob” video was a professionally choreographed dance.

The credits appear at the end of the video.

With the Shannon Airport logo and url appearing on the video, it is blatantly obvious to anybody watching it on youtube that it was a promotional spot.

Your petty nitpicking on the use of an apostrophe in the word passengers below tells more of a person who harbours deep anti-Shannon sentiments, where you let out no opportunity to knock the airport where you can.

It is this negative spirit that motivates you to post here.

Well said, some of the apparent bitterness over the flashmob, and the fanfare over the new 757 flights to Shannon etc., reminds me of the moaning about a few Santa flights.

The flashmob and 757 launch are just cheap good value marketing but thus seems to bother some people.

GCU Flexible Demeanour

Carnacalla wrote: »

Shannon needs to be marketed right.

Shannon has had its own marketing organisation for over fifty years. For most of that period it also had a monopoly on certain categories of flights and an individual tax break. What's left to do?

notharrypotter wrote: »

You never posted the actual e-mail you sent dispite being requested to do so:)

That's right, as I stated at the time. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=88265409&postcount=611

Brennans Row wrote: »

Your reply is pure cynical waffle.

In your original post, where you stated . . . .

"Can I suggest that Shannon is unlikely to get €2 million out of anyone for staying open for one day of the year."

. . . . is at blatant odds with what was originally discussed.

It's not "at odds". I'm simply pointing out that the talk of "365" is misleading, as there's only one day when Shannon is open and the other Irish airports are closed.

Brennans Row wrote: »

If you had any bit of common sense you should have realised that the “Shannon Airport Flashmob” video was a professionally choreographed dance.

But, sure, I haven't suggested otherwise. You are the one who linked the thread from A&A, as if you felt it had relevance to discussion here.

If we're all linking our favourite individual posts from that thread, can I link the one where I summarise the comments on the video?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=89958254&postcount=238

notharrypotter

Quote:
Originally Posted by notharrypotter
You never posted the actual e-mail you sent dispite being requested to do so
That's right, as I stated at the time. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=88265409&postcount=611

I am curious now.
So please, as requested, post the text and e-mail address to whom you sent your query.

Thank you

relaxed

highlydebased wrote: »

They're offering connections via SNN for flying US-UK. If you're flying to MAN or BHX you only have to spend 40-50 min on ground at SNN.

Not many airports can comfortably handle transits in just over half an hour, Shannon is so compact if your inbound flight is running late, somebody could meet you and walk you down the path to your next plane!

Brennans Row

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

Just in passing, I never got any reply from them as to whether there is any actual requirement on Shannon to stay open on Christmas Day. Can I suggest that Shannon is unlikely to get €2 million out of anyone for staying open for one day of the year.

GCU Flexible Demeanour wrote: »

It's not "at odds". I'm simply pointing out that the talk of "365" is misleading, as there's only one day when Shannon is open and the other Irish airports are closed.

In fairness, it is at odds with what was discussed before i.e. the €2 million costs for the emergency services incurred for the 24/7/365 cover and not your flippant €2 million for one Christmas day.

If anything you are misleading us here on this.

Again I would recommend that you re-read the posts 586-611 again.

GCU Flexible Demeanour

notharrypotter wrote: »

I am curious now.
So please, as requested, post the text and e-mail address to whom you sent your query.

Thank you

Absolutely. I sent the following to their press relations person

I got your email address from the IAA website. This is not a media query - I'm just a member of the public - but I was hoping you might be able to route this question to someone who might be able to answer it.
I've read material relating to Shannon Airport, which suggests it has some kind of special status as an emergency diversion airport. I haven't been able to find anything that confirms or provides a basis for this statement (in fact, I came across a statement from Minister Varadkar where he seemed to dismiss the idea that Shannon has any official status in this respect.)


Could you confirm if Shannon Airport has any formal agreement with the IAA (or any other authority), which requires it to provide a 24/7/365 level of service, consequent on any obligation to provide for emergency landings?


I have browsed your website, which is very informative, but I can't find anything which answers this question.

That was sent a couple of months ago, so I'm not expecting a reply. I haven't sent a reminder as I expect they are either the kind of people who respect the need for public bodies to answer queries from ordinary citizens, or they aren't.

Brennans Row wrote: »

In fairness, it is at odds with what was discussed before i.e. the €2 million costs for the emergency services incurred for the 24/7/365 cover and not your flippant €2 million for one Christmas day.

If anything you are misleading us here on this.

Again I would recommend that you re-read the posts 586-611 again.

There's nothing misleading in the point. Conversations develop points. The point I'm developing is the net contribution that Shannon makes to cover. That net contribution is one day.

Can I suggest that, if Shannon demands €2 million to stay open on Christmas Day, Cork should offer to do the job for €1 million. IIRC, an A380 needs a shorter runway than a 747. In extremis, a 747 could land at Cork (but wouldn't be able to take off again fully laden.) That's probably enough cover. When was the last time a stricken aircraft landed st SNN on Christmas Day?

Clareman

Great article on the beeb website about Shannon Airport http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27040076

JCX BXC

Their seems to be two conversations about shannon, the one about 'christmas day','€2 million' and the dance thing in shannon.

Mr. G

Carnacalla wrote: »

Their seems to be two conversations about shannon, the one about 'christmas day','€2 million' and the dance thing in shannon.

This is the general SNN airport thread. I would merge it with this thread but they would go arseways. Anyway, the flash mob video is trending on YouTube so probably deserves it's own thread.