Shannon Airport Thread [Mod Warning in First Post]

Berty · 21-05-2020 4:19pm

JamesBond2010 wrote: »

Who was phili again?? Mind is gone

My guess would be American Airlines.

JamesBond2010 · 21-05-2020 5:27pm

Berty wrote: »

My guess would be American Airlines.

🤣🤣o ya I forgot about them. Haven't seem them in ages

JamesBond2010 · 21-05-2020 5:29pm

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

AA

Personally, from working the flights I don't see them ever filling a 787.

Def not. They barely filled the flights as it was

johnjoeR · 21-05-2020 9:26pm

JamesBond2010 wrote: »

Def not. They barely filled the flights as it was

A barely full flight, as you put it, means nearly full and sometimes completely full as was the case any time I tried to book Shannon to Philly. Usually flights were either full or so overpriced I went via Dublin instead. The extra seats will hopefully mean more competitive prices and the modern plane is very welcome. Philly is a great hub!

Stanford · 21-05-2020 9:31pm

Any ideas around the future of the Shannon Group? Shannon Heritage is closed, the Airport is mostly closed and that just leaves the property company, surely cash will run out and the current business model is unsustainable

RocketRaccoon · 21-05-2020 9:34pm

johnjoeR wrote: »

A barely full flight, as you put it, means nearly full and sometimes completely full as was the case any time I tried to book Shannon to Philly. Usually flights were either full or so overpriced I went via Dublin instead. The extra seats will hopefully mean more competitive prices and the modern plane is very welcome. Philly is a great hub!

Take it from me, there was plenty of times that flight went out with under 100 passengers over the last few years.

For the first few weeks of the service each summer there would often be under 50 passengers.

SNNUS · 21-05-2020 9:40pm

JCX BXC wrote: »

Philadelphia will be operated by a 787 when it returns, continuing at daily frequency.

Nice capacity increase. Also will be the return of widebody aircraft on routes from Shannon.

Have you a link for this?? They are not flying to SNN this year.

RocketRaccoon · 21-05-2020 9:44pm

SNNUS wrote: »

Have you a link for this?? They are not flying to SNN this year.

Next year, May 2021

SNNUS · 21-05-2020 10:00pm

Oh that's great! Hope we see a good rebound for next year.

Deagol · 21-05-2020 10:27pm

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

Take it from me, there was plenty of times that flight went out with under 100 passengers over the last few years.

For the first few weeks of the service each summer there would often be under 50 passengers.

Be that as it may, are you suggesting that AA don't know what they are doing or something? I'm sure they must be happy with the numbers if they are going to put a 787 on the route when they could cancel it or put a smaller unit on.

It's often not as simple as counting numbers on the flight, actual numbers may not reflect bookings. Business fliers regularly will book a flight and then not check in due to change in plans. Over the years I've not turned up for flights at least 2 or 3 times a year and I'm not an executive level person!

highlydebased · 22-05-2020 9:08am

Stanford wrote: »

Any ideas around the future of the Shannon Group? Shannon Heritage is closed, the Airport is mostly closed and that just leaves the property company, surely cash will run out and the current business model is unsustainable

Seemingly the property company is doing well as they have 99% occupancy apparently

Masala · 22-05-2020 9:12am

Stanford wrote: »

Any ideas around the future of the Shannon Group? Shannon Heritage is closed, the Airport is mostly closed and that just leaves the property company, surely cash will run out and the current business model is unsustainable

Am sure have have cash in reserves. They’ve been making millions of profits for years.. so should be able to ride out the next year if they take some cost cutt8ng measures. They won’t starve.

Stanford · 22-05-2020 3:46pm

Very easy to burn through cash when you continue to have substantial fixed costs and no revenue

Stanford · 22-05-2020 3:47pm

highlydebased wrote: »

Seemingly the property company is doing well as they have 99% occupancy apparently

Is there a reliable source for this statement?

kilburn · 22-05-2020 3:57pm

Stanford wrote:

Is there a reliable source for this statement?

Their website has the annual report 98% occupancy.

Stanford · 22-05-2020 10:07pm

kilburn wrote: »

Their website has the annual report 98% occupancy.

Yes and its misleading, buildings that were built for individual clients are at 94% occupancy naturally, its a mistake to infer that all their property is full, far from it

mdmix · 22-05-2020 11:21pm

Stanford wrote: »

Yes and its misleading, buildings that were built for individual clients are at 94% occupancy naturally, its a mistake to infer that all their property is full, far from it

As I understand it they have excluded some old properties that are no longer suitable for modern needs.

Brennans Row · 25-05-2020 8:49pm

Lufthansa secures €9bn rescue deal from German government (RTE)

Lufthansa has secured a €9 billion state rescue deal from the German government for a 20% stake in the company.

The German government will have limited voting rights, and two seats on the supervisory board of the firm.

The German Finance and Economy Ministries said Lufthansa was an operationally healthy company before the coronavirus outbreak, as well as profitable and with good future prospects, but had got into trouble due to the pandemic.

"The federal government's stabilisation package takes account of the needs of company as well as those of the taxpayers and the employees of the Lufthansa Group, who depend on the preservation of a strong company," the ministries said in a joint statement.

Good news for workers of Lufthansa Technik AG (Shannon Aerospace) and Lufthansa Technik Turbine Shannon (LTTS).

SNNUS · 27-05-2020 5:38pm

No EI flights until the end of July at the earliest..

RocketRaccoon · 27-05-2020 5:45pm

SNNUS wrote: »

No EI flights until the end of July at the earliest..

Ryanair will be back at the start of July.

highlydebased · 27-05-2020 6:41pm

EI off til end of August now apparently - staff laid off temporarily

http://clareherald.com/2020/05/aer-lingus-to-lay-off-workers-at-shannon-11011/

SNNUS · 27-05-2020 7:36pm

Oh ****zers

JamesBond2010 · 27-05-2020 7:40pm

highlydebased wrote: »

EI off til end of August now apparently - staff laid off temporarily

http://clareherald.com/2020/05/aer-lingus-to-lay-off-workers-at-shannon-11011/

It was a know fact they dont give 2 ****s about Snn. its only about Dublin they care about. Even with the maintenance you can see that.

JCX BXC · 27-05-2020 8:35pm

JamesBond2010 wrote: »

It was a know fact they dont give 2 ****s about Snn. its only about Dublin they care about. Even with the maintenance you can see that.

How does this show they don't care about Shannon? Why bring all this useless Dublin sh*te into the conversation?

JamesBond2010 · 27-05-2020 8:58pm

JCX BXC wrote: »

How does this show they don't care about Shannon? Why bring all this useless Dublin sh*te into the conversation?

i am just telling the truth if u worked @ shannon you would know what they are like.

Avoation1091 · 30-05-2020 10:19pm

SNN-EWR will return on 27 March 2021 with United. UA are scheduled to be back with AA next year.

Hopefully this wont change.

knockon · 31-05-2020 7:04pm

Great news. Where is the source of this? Employees (US employees) of UA are unaware of this.

Brennans Row · 31-05-2020 9:24pm

Shannon Airport seeks recovery package as Donohoe says he will speak to Aer Lingus (Sunday Independent)

Shannon Airport is seeking a financial support package from the Government after a collapse in its traffic and the decision by Aer Lingus to lay off staff at the mid-west airport.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has also pledged to speak with Aer Lingus about the matter.

If the airport cannot convince Aer Lingus to resurrect its now cancelled London Heathrow service - using the valuable slots at that airport that were a key part of the government's deal to sell Aer Lingus to IAG - the airport faces a huge crisis, according to sources.

Aer Lingus announced last week it was temporarily laying off its Shannon-based cabin crew but, when asked about the slots, a spokeswoman said that the EU Commission suspension of its "use-it-or-lose-it" rule on slots meant the route would not be impacted. But the move has come as a major blow to the airport, which had been given cause for optimism in February after Aer Lingus said it would base a second aircraft at the airport, boosting traffic by 20pc.

Avoation1091 · 31-05-2020 9:29pm

knockon wrote: »

Great news. Where is the source of this? Employees (US employees) of UA are unaware of this.

Its for sale on there website. Hopefully its right.

golfball37 · 01-06-2020 12:30pm

Aer Lingus have been looking for any excuse to abandon Shannon as it makes them no money. The pandemic will reset a lot of businesses and allow others to make decisions they previously couldn’t. SAA have far too much dependency on the LHR route and if it goes it’s the beginning of the end unless there’s a complete overhaul of management current policy

Shn99 · 01-06-2020 2:09pm

golfball37 wrote: »

Aer Lingus have been looking for any excuse to abandon Shannon as it makes them no money. The pandemic will reset a lot of businesses and allow others to make decisions they previously couldn’t. SAA have far too much dependency on the LHR route and if it goes it’s the beginning of the end unless there’s a complete overhaul of management current policy

If they didnt make money they would have left long ago, they are not a charity service. They also wouldnt have based 2 of their new 321 NEO aircraft and announced 2 new routes..

ISOP · 02-06-2020 10:30am

I was a regular on the 7:30 flight to Heathrow, it was always fairly full

Clareman · 02-06-2020 10:34am

That red eye flight has always been profitable, even when they took it away and moved it to Belfast they said it was profitable but that they'd make more money from Belfast.

hobie14 · 04-06-2020 9:27am

Interesting LOT 1046 stopover ..... Warsaw to Toronto just coming in ....

JamesBond2010 · 04-06-2020 10:12am

thought someone would have posted the leader article this morn here

JamesBond2010 · 04-06-2020 10:16am

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/547391/fresh-fears-over-aer-lingus-shannon-service.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
article below incase the paywall comes up

Fresh fears over Aer Lingus Shannon service
Nick RabbittsNick Rabbitts4 Jun 2020Email: nick.rabbitts@limerickleader.ie

AER Lingus has refused to comment on its future schedules amid growing fears that its operation may be reduced at Shannon Airport.

Following the flag-carrier’s decision to furlough all its 90 cabin crew staff at Limerick’s local airport due to the Covid-19 crisis – but keep workers on at Cork and Dublin Airport – the spectre of reduced flights from Shannon has been raised.

Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell has written to Aer Lingus chief executive Sean Doyle asking in particular about the Heathrow slots, and the transatlantic services from Shannon.

“Without a doubt, this is an exceptionally challenging time for Aer Lingus, but I am concerned with the proposal to temporarily lay off crew at Shannon from June 21 to August 29 does not reflect the actions taken at Dublin and Cork. There are also questions to be answered on the decision to cancel the Aer Lingus Heathrow route from, Shannon while the Cork route has continued,” the city TD said.

The Limerick Leader also wrote to Aer Lingus asking these questions, and seeking information around if and when flights to London’s main airport and across to the USA would resume.

A company spokesperson said: “Aer Lingus is reviewing our future operating schedule on an ongoing basis, having regard to the guidance from relevant governments in relation to when we will be able to operate particular routes.”

Back in 2007, there was uproar when Aer Lingus cut its connection between Shannon and Heathrow Airport, with thousands of people taking to Limerick’s streets.

A year later, the airline resumed operations between Shannon and the British capital, albeit at a reduced schedule.

Mr O’Donnell said: “The Aer Lingus Shannon to Heathrow route and the transatlantic routes are vital to connectivity for Limerick and the Mid-West region and I am determined these are reinstated as quickly as possible, and the Shannon-based cabin crew staff are maintained.” There are fears if Aer Lingus did significantly cut its schedule from Shannon Airport, it would be detrimental to the base.

”It’s in a heap of trouble already, and I don’t know how they will recover. It’s likely to need some State intervention. We might need to bail them out. This could send it back 10 to 15 years,” said one industry source.

Niall Shanahan of the Forsa trade union, which represents 90% of cabin crew, said: “Our honest answer is we don’t know what Aer Lingus’s medium to long term strategy is for Shannon. They haven’t shared it with us.”

He said Shannon has always been a “political football” in his union’s talks with the company.

But, Mr Shanahan added the airport was “often written off – but this never came to pass.”

RocketRaccoon · 04-06-2020 11:26am

I'd happily close the door behind aer lingus in Shannon and open up to O'Leary tbh.

mdmix · 04-06-2020 12:20pm

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

I'd happily close the door behind aer lingus in Shannon and open up to O'Leary tbh.

Ryanair are taking advantage of the crisis by pitting much larger airports against each other for "priority" in restarting their network, I doubt shannon would be worth any effort for them at this point. Id say all their effort will be rebuilding existing routes rather than starting new ones.

Its a shame, because the current crisis could have been an opportunity for Shannon if not for the inept management over the last few years. Its likely people will avoid city breaks. People will be flying into a busy Dublin Airport to drive/bus to the wild Atlantic way with Shannon largely empty. Cork airport could do well in the next few years.

Masala · 04-06-2020 12:40pm

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

I'd happily close the door behind aer lingus in Shannon and open up to O'Leary tbh.

O'Leary already been there during the Neil Pakey era and hightailed out once the 'supports' ended.

O'leary arriving into an airport is not like a scene from the Lord of the Rings.... he not coming in to save anyone!

Billhook · 04-06-2020 5:50pm

it's sad to see Shannon Airport reduced to a windswept runway where now and again it's so quite the farmers can drive in and save hay.

The only life there is a few brown hares.

I wonder if Dublin still managed it, would it be doing better in the last few years ?

Was it possible that the management that's there now couldn't cope with the pressure of having to actually work under Dublin.
So they decided that they're better and it was a shot in the dark to go it alone.
A how dare Dublin tell us Midwesterners how to do our job, we're sick of this crap.

So they engineered their own downfall with outside help, then when Santa delivered the jigsaw puzzle, they threw it in a blender and can't put it back together again.

Didn't Neil Pakey say at staff meetings that, the people on the ground with experience have great ideas and weren't listened to ???

They sent him out on paid leave then another guy came who spent most meetings talking about being a family man and archeology and he went off to a marina or somewhere...

golfball37 · 04-06-2020 6:30pm

Neil Pakey was a great guy, the place had a chance with him in charge. My brother works there and said he was extremely personable and listened to staff who knew what was needed. He was removed because he told the state appointed board home truths and yet they are still in place and rubber stamping the same redundant policies.

RYR have wound up Lauda, so I guess thats the end of Vienna now too.

Jamie2k9 · 04-06-2020 6:34pm

golfball37 wrote: »

Neil Pakey was a great guy, the place had a chance with him in charge. My brother works there and said he was extremely personable and listened to staff who knew what was needed. He was removed because he told the state appointed board home truths and yet they are still in place and rubber stamping the same redundant policies.

RYR have wound up Lauda, so I guess thats the end of Vienna now too.

Lauda base have proposed a deal to Ryanair so might not closw.

Billhook · 04-06-2020 7:06pm

golfball37 wrote: »

Neil Pakey was a great guy, the place had a chance with him in charge. My brother works there and said he was extremely personable and listened to staff who knew what was needed. He was removed because he told the state appointed board home truths and yet they are still in place and rubber stamping the same redundant policies.

RYR have wound up Lauda, so I guess thats the end of Vienna now too.

He was supposedly more about the working staff and was suggesting that they take on a different strategy he's from Scotland and a bit of a loveable rogue.
He was able to see potential, but a guy who works there said they wouldn't listen to him because he was able to see what was going wrong etc

There's a lot of management and they're under the Shannon Group umbrella.
I heard that they're often chopping and changing the management structure.

Shannon Heritage are all over the media too, supposedly staff are annoyed with being let go, and in the paper's etc they're closing Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in August.
Another blow the local tourism industry.

Bunratty is along the wild Atlantic way and that place should be booming, I don't know who's running the place at the moment.
But Shannon Development put a lot of work into that place, and Brendan O Regan was a genius.

I'm living between Dingle and Tralee sometimes I drive for a tour company and meet Americans sometimes and they rave about Bunratty Castle and Folk Park and the replica village etc

I was there on a school tour in the early 80's and feel like I have a connection to the place as when I walk around I smell the turf and enjoy the atmosphere, it's a bit like Muckross in Killarney

But if RTE and the paper's are mentioning that it's falling apart there's seriously something wrong, banquet's will be offline for a while due to social distancing and people not flying.

How come Shannon Airport left the Dublin Airport Authority ?

Was it a good move ?

AnRothar · 05-06-2020 8:36am

RTE and the paper's are mentioning that it's falling apart there's seriously something wrong

There is an old saying "a paper never refused ink".

That been said Aviation has tanked.
2020 is a write off.

There is a difficult time ahead.

How come Shannon Airport left the Dublin Airport Authority ?

There was a belief in both Shannon and Cork were been "hindered" by Aer Rianta with its Dublin centric focus.

This had a degree of truth but was not the whole story.

Letting Shannon sink or swim was useful tactic by the DAA in putting manners on the desires of Cork for independence.

Was it a good move ?

Jury is still out.

golfball37 · 05-06-2020 4:52pm

The Shannon split was a good idea executed very badly. The same people who mishandled that are now charged with this recovery.
The Group was just another higher level of management of hand picked people who knew nothing of the airport business, to run it. Local managers and great servants were sidelined. It was some wasted opportunity and am not too hopeful for future based on what I’ve heard.

highlydebased · 05-06-2020 5:36pm

golfball37 wrote: »

The Shannon split was a good idea executed very badly. The same people who mishandled that are now charged with this recovery.
The Group was just another higher level of management of hand picked people who knew nothing of the airport business, to run it. Local managers and great servants were sidelined. It was some wasted opportunity and am not too hopeful for future based on what I’ve heard.

Do go on

JCX BXC · 05-06-2020 6:51pm

Christ above, the gloom in here is palpable.

Naturally, there's little point in these 'fears for the future' headlines as we have quite obivously no idea what's happening in the aviation world yet. It's too soon to tell, but again paper never refuses ink.

I'm not sure why some users seem hell-bent on screaming that Shannon's being discriminated against, nobody has any interest in the airport and the management are a failure. Current times are completely unforseen and new to us, the world, it's not just Shannon here.

Also, suggesting that Ryanair should be allowed in to force Aer Lingus out goes down with one of the most absurd suggestions here yet. The post - independence deal with Ryanair occured only 6/7 years ago and those routes are only gone a few years. Anyone with any memory of this would know it's not time for a repeat.

RocketRaccoon · 05-06-2020 7:07pm

JCX BXC wrote: »

Christ above, the gloom in here is palpable.

Naturally, there's little point in these 'fears for the future' headlines as we have quite obivously no idea what's happening in the aviation world yet. It's too soon to tell, but again paper never refuses ink.

I'm not sure why some users seem hell-bent on screaming that Shannon's being discriminated against, nobody has any interest in the airport and the management are a failure. Current times are completely unforseen and new to us, the world, it's not just Shannon here.

Also, suggesting that Ryanair should be allowed in to force Aer Lingus out goes down with one of the most absurd suggestions here yet. The post - independence deal with Ryanair occured only 6/7 years ago and those routes are only gone a few years. Anyone with any memory of this would know it's not time for a repeat.

When Aer Lingus stop taking aircraft from SNN to use for flights leaving DUB I'll stop saying they don't care about the place

Deagol · 05-06-2020 8:11pm

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

I'd happily close the door behind aer lingus in Shannon and open up to O'Leary tbh.

If you're a serious traveller like I am RA are completely useless. For business they are most often not a realistic option as they only do point to point flights.

And as they often fly to airports long distances from the business locations they also aren't useful. For instance EI can get you to and from central London offices in the same day. Not a hope if you had to travel to and from STD.

If SNN only had RA flights I'd drive to Dublin for 90% of my travel, as would the other people in my company who travel frequently. And I can guarantee you that would go for large numbers of other business travellers. SNN's life blood is those frequent business travellers - with them gone I don't think SNN is viable.

RocketRaccoon · 05-06-2020 8:21pm

Deagol wrote: »

If you're a serious traveller like I am RA are completely useless. For business they are most often not a realistic option as they only do point to point flights.

And as they often fly to airports long distances from the business locations they also aren't useful. For instance EI can get you to and from central London offices in the same day. Not a hope if you had to travel to and from STD.

If SNN only had RA flights I'd drive to Dublin for 90% of my travel, as would the other people in my company who travel frequently. And I can guarantee you that would go for large numbers of other business travellers. SNN's life blood is those frequent business travellers - with them gone I don't think SNN is viable.

I have to disagree with your last sentence. I understand where you're coming from regarding business travel but if they did leave and Ryanair opened more routes, it's 3 LHR flights a day vs multiples of Ryanair routes. At the end of the day its 450ish passengers a day that would be lost.

Obviously I'm not counting their TA routes as there won't be any this year.

Shannon Airport Thread [Mod Warning in First Post]

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