The airline will commence the exclusive twice-daily business class service between London City and New York in autumn 2009, with west-bound flights using Shannon as a stop-over for refuelling and immigration facilities.

“To have a stellar aviation brand like British Airways select Shannon as the stop-over airport for this exclusive service is a real vote of confidence in the future of Shannon Airport,” Mr Moroney announced.

“Shannon has a long history as a transatlantic gateway, having been Ireland’s designated transatlantic airport as far back as the 1930s and we hope this new arrangement with British Airways is the start of a long and successful relationship,” he said.

British Airways launched a competitive tender process to select an airport it will use for the refuelling stop. Shannon’s ongoing ability to service this market and the ancillary services provided at the airport was key to its success in securing this business for the region, Mr Moroney revealed.

“British Airways has not operated any services out of Shannon since the early 1990s and we are, indeed, delighted to have them back doing business with us. Shannon was selected chiefly because of the length of its runway, its trademark commercial refuelling facilities and, of course, because of its US immigration facilities. Together, these give Shannon a competitive advantage over other European Airports and we intend to build on these strengths long into the future,” he concluded.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment