Shannon Group has expressed disappointment with the decision by United Airlines not to resume its seasonal daily service between Shannon Airport and New York/Newark.
The airline has confirmed that it will not resume operations this year or in 2021. The carrier usually operates a daily service from Shannon during the summer season.
Commenting on the closure a spokesperson for Shannon Group said: “United Airlines has been a long-standing customer of Shannon Airport for 22 years. In that time their popular New York/ Newark service has provided important air connectivity for people and businesses in the Mid-West and along the west coast of Ireland.
“We are disappointed with the decision by United which shows the severity of the devastation in the global aviation sector caused by the Covid-19 crisis. It is widely acknowledged that transatlantic services in particular would be severely impacted and that a recovery would be slow.
“The strong passenger numbers that used the airlines New York/Newark service at Shannon, proves the vibrant market there is for transatlantic flights in and out of this region. We will continue to work with them and all our airline partners as they work to re-establish their broader route network and would be hopeful of seeing a return of United’s Newark service as soon as possible.”
“We are pleased that American Airlines, Delta and Aer Lingus have indicated that they will resume their transatlantic services from Shannon in 2021.
However, the ability of our region to rebuild in the aftermath of the pandemic is reliant on having a strong airport and It once again highlights the vital need for a strong Government support package to kick-start recovery,” the spokesperson added.
We are disappointed with the decision by United not to resume its service between Shannon & Newark, which shows the severity of the devastation in the global aviation sector caused by the Covid-19 crisis.
See full statement here: https://t.co/Od3aQmeMTF pic.twitter.com/KnyR51hxyQ
— Shannon Airport (@ShannonAirport) June 16, 2020