Management at Shannon Airport are hoping its new independent status will be good for business and jobs in the mid-west.

The airport's being merged with a restructured Shannon Development to form a new, publicly-owned, commercial entity in 2013 - making it independent of Dublin and Cork airports.

850 jobs have already been secured - though the airport's debt free status has come at the cost of the profitable Aer Rianta International Duty Free Business which remains with the DAA.

It's business as usual at Shannon today as the post-Christmas rush continues, but Head of Operations Niall Moloney told Clare FM they're welcoming the new era with optimism: