Shannon & Heathrow
Via Brian Greene
“there are people who will forever feel I suppose that Shannon is under threat and some of them will be doing that for political reasons” Tony Killeen TD on RTE before the election - fast forward to 13:09 MP3
Note how I’ve refused to put Aer Lingus in the title. That’s because the company management has acted in the way I expect a company to act. The failure arises in how Fianna Fail et. al failed to safeguard the Heathrow slots.
They have a 25% share in Aer Lingus and if they are not prepared to use them, then they are worthless. Fine Gael is calling on the government to act and will put forward a motion calling on the government to do just that when the Dail sits again.
Bertie Ahern’s review group is simply a fudge to take the heat out of the controversy imho.
And in typical Fianna Fail fashion - we have the same party saying all sorts of vague and often contradicting things - Minister for Defense, Willie O’Dea wants Aer Lingus to reverse the decision before an EGM would do it. Noel Dempsey doesn’t think it’s such a big deal (O’Dea suggested Dempsey was getting bad advice) and Mary Hanafin doesn’t think the government should intervene at all! Who is taking responsibilty here? Dan Boyle, John Gormley and Tony Kileen have been saying various bits and pieces too but it’s all talk and no action/accountability. This affects Kerry, Clare, Limerick and perhaps Tipperary and Galway too but where are Michael Lowry, Jackie Healy-Rae and Noel Grealish to be seen now?
UPDATE: The SaveShannon.com is now live
August 22nd, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Joe, pots calling kettles black! I haven’t seen any leadership from the Fine Gael bosses on this matter. Its the same crap as Fianna Fail where they are letting the western TDs blow off steam without any real actual policy, but then I would not expect anything less from Enda, he doesn’t really have any balls to take on any issues, worse than Bertie. Where is the action from the Fine Fael party? It is only the local tds who are affected that are full of bluster.
I also disagree with you regards how the company management acted. It was a stupid ill-conceived action that is seriously damaging the Aer Lingus brand. How could the management not expect such a response from thje west? Idiots! I would be worried to keep them in charge of Aer Lingus. They have put themselves in a very precepital position, they have allowed Michael O’Leary put Aer Lingus and the Government into a compromising position. Muppets the lot of them.
August 22nd, 2007 at 10:27 pm
I don’t care who is seen to be leading on the TV or who gets coverage. What you perceive and what actually happens are two different matters but jobs are at stake here. Let’s lay out positions as they stand:
Fine Gael party: government should intervene (to be confirmed officially)
Fianna Fail party et al: government should not intervene (to be confirmed officially)
Some local TDs and Councillors - OMG, tis terrible…something must be done (???), just like Barringtons and Taxi Deregulation - sitting on both sides of the fence.
The Independent article is no less than wishful thinking and propaganda. NO party has an official policy ratified by the parliamentary party. Olivia Mitchell won’t confirm any policy until it is of course official. The Indo suddenly interprets this as a split! They almost directly contradict themselves by quoting her as saying that the goverment MUST act so Shannon HAS a flight to heathrow. They say Fine Gael is reluctant to be seen as interfering with a commercial decision by AL, which is an opinion formed by the author and it would apply to ALL Fine Gael TDs. I fail to see this dramatic split they speak of.
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As for the wisdom of the decision - I expect companies to make bad decisions too! They are weighing up the potential profitability of each route and their assets (slots, planes, advertising etc.) and came to the conclusion that Belfast may be better than Shannon.
I agree that the brand has been damaged in Ireland.
But the management have no control of Michael O’Leary buying their shares and what he does with them!
Aer Lingus and Fianna Fail et al. got themselves into this position. Michael O’Leary has just made it more uncomfortable by forcing the issue.