The Government has been urged to take a “carrot and stick approach” to encourage airlines to increase the number of flights in and out of regional airports. 

After Dublin Airport announced earlier this week they will breach their 32 million annual passenger cap, advocates of regional airports have said it presents an opportunity to rebalance its aviation policy. 

It is an idea that Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary has been dismissive of on the grounds that most travellers want to visit Dublin. 

However, Dee Ryan, a member of the Government’s Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce, said Ryanair’s success is itself proof of the value of regional airports. 

“That’s almost laughable coming from the man who famously has made Paris-ish, capital city-ish airports so usesable and so well-connected throughout Europe,” she said. 

“Much to all of our gratitudes given the fabulous bargains he’s able to drive with those regional airports.

“I’d love to see Michael O’Leary and the other airlines adopt the other approach to our underutilised airports in Shannon and Cork.”  

Government incentives

Ms Ryan said the Government should adopt a “carrot and a stick approach” to the issue and believes Ministers are sympathetic. 

“I was delighted and it was refreshing to hear Minister Lawless on the radio earlier today and in fact I met him myself earlier this week to discuss this very matter with him,” she said. 

“He has a much more open minded approach to this matter and he sees the strategic bigger picture here. 

“He said himself, there is no cap on entry into the country but pressure from the airlines, pressure from the DAA ensures that we continue to funnel all of those flights into the airport does not serve us as a State.” 

Ms Ryan said more visitors to regional Ireland was key to boosting economic growth outside of Dublin. 

“We’re not going to get the investment and the jobs and the housing if we don’t have those strategic connections into our regional airports,” she said.

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Main image: A flight arrives in Shannon. Picture by: Shannon Airport/Photocall Ireland/GIS