*Airline crew after getting off a bus in Shannon. Photograph: Joe Buckley
HEATHROW’s shutdown which affected more than 270,000 passengers demonstrates the need to rethink Ireland’s aviation policy.
London’s Heathrow Airport closed temporarily on Friday after a nearby fire caused a power outage. The grounding of all flights and shutdown of operations resulted in the disruption of more than £5.43m of goods, according to international delivery firm Parcelhero. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled.
Six flights were diverted to Shannon Airport. Flights from Toronto, Atlanta, Bridgetown Barbados, Boston, Orlando, and Newark originally scheduled to land at Heathrow were forced to divert to Shannon. Impacted passengers and airline crews were transported by bus to nearby hotels following their diversion.
CEO of the Shannon Airport Group, Mary Considine stated, “When Heathrow Airport came to a standstill last week due to a power outage after a fire at a nearby electrical substation, it wasn’t just passengers in Britain who were affected, it sent a very real warning to countries like Ireland about the danger of putting all our aviation eggs in one basket”.
She noted that 86 percent of Ireland’s air traffic flows through Dublin at present, “that’s not just an imbalanced system, it’s an unsustainable one. In a globalised economy, where connectivity and resilience are vital, Ireland’s over-reliance on Dublin Airport is a significant risk to Ireland as an island nation. From national security to economic development and regional equality, the consequences of this imbalance are mounting. It’s time for an urgent review of national aviation policy and for Ireland’s regional airports to take a more central role in a rebalanced, modern aviation strategy”.
Of the 86 percent arriving in Dublin Airport, nearly forty percent of them are heading for other parts of Ireland.
Lissycasey native Considine said Ireland’s aviation policy “is outdated and no longer fit for purpose. Rather than growing in line with long-term national needs, it has developed without design, focused almost entirely on Dublin Airport, with little regard for the regional airports that could transform the country’s economic geography. Dublin’s role as our primary international gateway isn’t in question, but our current approach especially the debate over passenger caps – is a distraction from a much bigger issue. We are failing to harness the full power of aviation as a national driver of growth and resilience”.
Both Shannon and Cork Airports have the capacity for more passengers, she flagged. She suggested “Shannon alone could accommodate an additional three million passengers annually, while Cork could add another two million. These are not speculative numbers – this capacity exists right now. What’s missing is the political will and the aviation policy to match. Using these airports more strategically could ease pressure on Dublin, reduce carbon emissions through shorter ground journeys, and help Ireland meet its decarbonisation targets. Shannon, for instance, is already working towards becoming a sustainable aviation fuel hub in line with the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce’s recommendations”.
Shannon is well positioned to drive a rebalance, she maintained. “It is the only airport in Europe, outside of Dublin, with full US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance. It’s ideally situated to support investment in sustainable energy, offshore wind and green industrial development along the estuary. It’s reachable by uncongested roads and could be quickly connected to Limerick by rail, well ahead of the long-awaited MetroLink in Dublin. From a national security standpoint, however, the issue becomes even more urgent. Having 86 per cent of aviation traffic concentrated in one airport on an island nation especially one that plays host to a globalised, open economy is reckless. As international security concerns grow, and as Ireland’s strategic vulnerabilities come under increased scrutiny, decentralising aviation capacity must be part of our broader defence and resilience strategy. This is not just a matter of regional development or economic planning; it is also a political opportunity. The current programme for government includes a commitment to review national aviation policy”.
“That review should not simply rubber-stamp the status quo. It should deliver a bold, future-facing strategy for the entire country. Aviation policy must meet the needs of the entire country. It’s about making sure that connectivity serves all regions, not just the capital. Dublin will always be our primary international hub, but its role should not be to funnel every passenger through a single chokepoint. That’s bad for Dublin, bad for the regions and bad for the country,” Mary said.
She added, “There is no urgent need to build more runways or terminals. What we need is to use what we already have, but in a better way. Ireland boasts a strong aviation infrastructure, but it’s being undermined by a lack of strategic vision. What’s standing in the way is not capacity, geography, or public support. What’s standing in the way is inertia. Now is the time for political leadership. A reset of aviation policy, centred on strategic investment in Shannon and Cork airports, could be a legacy achievement for this government – a visionary, transformative step that would unlock growth, sustainability and resilience for decades to come. We’ve seen what happens when a single airport fails. Let’s not wait for Dublin to have Ireland’s Heathrow moment. Let’s act, while we still can”.
Not only is the concentration in Dublin a single point of failure, but it also fails to serve the needs of passengers” said Michelle Gallagher, CEO of Limerick Chamber. “The reality is that nearly 40% of visitors landing in Dublin want to go to the regions, while 60% of the population reside outside of Dublin. Policymakers need to look holistically at what the island needs, and what the flying public want. Ironically, the runways at Dublin Airport are the new compulsory stopover, as passengers who want to travel to the regions are landed there and those passengers who have an airport closer to them have no choice but to travel to Dublin. Policymakers must act to serve the needs of passengers”.
“The Heathrow outage has exposed the risks of over-centralisation in aviation,” said Mrs. Gallagher “Ireland must act now to safeguard our connectivity and resilience. Regional airports such as Shannon and Cork have the capacity and infrastructure to handle a greater share of air traffic, enhancing both national resilience and security”.
“Airports have contingency plans, but national policy must ensure a resilient and balanced Irish aviation network. Policymakers can mitigate the risks associated with over-centralisation and build a robust aviation market which would enhance passenger convenience and economic development but also provide a crucial safeguard against unforeseen disruptions. The renewed National Aviation Policy must ensure that Ireland’s connectivity is not concentrated at a single airport but considers the needs for the country as a whole and supports balanced economic development and achieving our Climate Action targets”
Limerick Chamber warns that failure to address the imbalance between Dublin and regional airports could expose Ireland to significant economic and security risks.
“This is not just an issue of economic and regional development; it’s a national security concern” said Seán Golden, Chief Economist and Director of Policy at Limerick Chamber. “The current National Aviation Policy was published in 2015. Given the current tumultuous international environment, it is inappropriate to be running an industry on a policy from ten years ago. There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to renew the National Aviation Policy and this must be prioritised. Government must act now to build resilience and diversification in our aviation network before an incident forces our hand”.
Golden further emphasised the need for broader infrastructure diversification: “Last year, Storm Darragh severely disrupted the British and Irish supply chain due to damage at Holyhead Port. This heavily impacted supply chain in the busy Christmas period. Failure to adequately plan and diversify our infrastructure, especially infrastructure that is exposed to changing climate change conditions, will provide serious challenges to Ireland in the coming years. We must act now and update our National Aviation Policy to reflect goals and challenges of the day”.
