08/08/2007

Jobs Fears For Shannon Following Aer Lingus Move To Belfast

There are fears that there could be a number of jobs losses in Shannon following Aer Lingus' decision to close its daily Shannon to Heathrow route in order to operate a new service from Belfast.

On Tuesday, Aer Lingus told staff that 45 jobs could be lost at Shannon as a result of the move.

On Wednesday, it was reported that Element Six - formerly De Beers Industrial Diamonds - have voiced concerns about the effect that losing the Heathrow route would have on the business. The company, which has been in Shannon for 45 years, employs 600 people and is one of the region's biggest employers.

It has now been reported that opposition parties are urging the government to try to arrange some concessions from Aer Lingus in an attempt to restore some level of service between Shannon and Heathrow.

Aer Lingus announced the decision to launch the new service from Belfast International Airport on Monday. The new service, part of a 150 million euro investment, will see the airline fly to eight European cities from Belfast, including London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Geneva.

(KMcA)


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