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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Apr 1983

Vol. 341 No. 8

Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - US Charter Flights .

3.

asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware of the allegations of an Irish-American travel agents group that the recent refusal of the Government to allow charter flights from New York and Chicago to Ireland this summer will cost Irish tourism £14 million; if he will give details of the flights which were refused; the reason for such refusals; the considerations taken into account by him in refusing the applications; and if he had any consultations with the tourist industry before the decision was taken.

: I would refer the Deputy to the debate on the Second Stage of the Air Companies (Amendment) Bill, 1983, which took place in the House on 1 March 1983, in the course of which I dealt comprehensively with the position of charter flights from the United States this year.

I would repeat that the actions which I have taken allow for a doubling of the number of charter seats that can be offered from the New York and Boston gateways, as compared with the 1982 level of operations, and for a 50 per cent increase during the peak months June to September. I am satisfied that the charter programmes which I have approved, coupled with the services being offered by the three scheduled service carriers, will provide ample capacity for the coming summer. Accordingly, and in keeping with messages already conveyed to interested airlines and tour operators, I do not propose to authorise any further summer 1983 charter programmes from New York or Boston.

Filings received subsequently from the US airlines, Global International Airways and Capitol Air, on behalf of a tour operator named Tour Flites International for charter programmes from New York have been refused.

As I indicated in the course of the debate on the Air Companies (Amendment) Bill, 1983, my decision on charters was taken only after the fullest consultation with Bord Fáilte, Aer Rianta and SFADCo, all of whom acknowledged that the decision was necessary in the best interests of Irish tourism and the development of Shannon Airport. I would add that my decision does not affect charters from Chicago, or indeed any other US point besides New York and Boston.

: I am aware of the statement by the Minister in the course of the debate on the Air Companies (Amendment) Bill but I asked the Minister to tell the House the number of applications he has refused or has to sanction. Will the Minister give the House an indication of the number of applications being considered by the Department and the number which were refused? Will the Minister tell the House the number of flights involved and the names of the airlines?

: I told the Deputy that there was an application from the US airlines, Global International Airways and Capital Air, on behalf of a tour operator, Tour Flites International, for charter programmes from New York. They have been refused and they are the only airline who have been refused in respect of Boston and New York.

: I should like to know if there was an application from Celtic and Global for flights from Pittsburg, Washington and Baltimore. Have those applications been refused or allowed?

: That is a separate question but I should like to tell the Deputy that there is no restriction outside the Boston and New York gateways. That should include such places as Baltimore, Chicago, San Francisco. There are marginal areas like Philadelphia which are debatable.

: Is the Minister aware of a recent statement by the chief executive of aviation in the North that a number of chartered flights which were refused permission to land at Shannon by the Department have decided to fly to Belfast? Has the Minister any information about that statement or can he say if the report is accurate?

: I have no information in relation to that but I would repeat that my decision was made after consultation with all the tourism interests, Bord Fáilte, Aer Rianta, SFADCo and other organisations. The decision was made in the best interest of Irish tourism. We have made very generous increase in the number of charters possible from the New York and Boston gateways and I repeat that other points of origin are not affected by the decision. Statements were made in the initial stages on the basis of misunderstandings but these matters have now been clarified.

: As far as the United States is concerned the Irish tourist market offers fantastic value. Prices in London have been so substantially decreased that there will be a massive influx from the US this year. Is it not important that we should try to take some share of this market in view of the fact that we can now offer most attractive prices as a result of changes in the exchange rate?

: My decision has given ample scope for the expansion of tourism. I have doubled the number of charter flights possible throughout the year as compared to last year and in relation to the peak months the increase is 50 per cent. That is a very substantial increase and I do not think anybody will be inhibited from coming here. We have served the market very well by our decision.

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