Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Feb 1988

Vol. 378 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Transport Carrier Services.

11.

Mr. Cullen

asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if any application from Irish carriers to operate new services between Ireland, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe on a third-fourth freedom basis and also on a fifth freedom basis have been approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Mr. Wilson

The EC air transport package, concluded in December, 1987, presented Irish airlines with major opportunities to develop air services between Ireland and other Community states. I have received a large number of applications to operate new services and, while I have not completed my examination of all of the applications, I have within the last few days announced approval in principle for a substantial number of services to be operated by Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Club Air. I propose to circulate a list of these services to the House.

I should add that I expect to be in a position shortly to give details of revised, more liberal air transport arrangements between Ireland and the UK which will facilitate further the development of new air services between the two countries. This will enable me to announce the approval of further services for which the airlines have already made application.

I have referred previously to the fact that in a number of recent years Irish residents holidaying abroad have spent more than incoming tourists spend in this country. As you are aware, it is a major objective of tourism policy to reverse that situation. I must, therefore, stress that I expect the airlines who are receiving these new rights to have regard to that objective and to demonstrate to me in due course the contribution they have made to the development of inward tourist traffic.

New Services Approved

Aer Lingus
Dublin	— Stansted
*Dublin	— Manchester	— Amsterdam
*Dublin	— Manchester	— Copenhagen
*Dublin	— Manchester	— Hamburg
*Dublin	— Manchester	— Milan
*Dublin	— Birmingham	— Brussels
Dublin	— Hamburg
Dublin	— Blackpool
Dublin	— Newcastle
Cork	— Bristol
Shannon	— Bristol

*With fifth freedom rights at the intermediate point.

Ryanair
Dublin	— London
Cork	— London
Shannon	— London
Dublin	— Coventry
Cork	— Manchester
Shannon	— Belfast
Shannon	— Manchester
Connaught	— London
Dublin	— Brussels
Dublin	— Rome
Dublin	— Athens
Connaught	— Brussels
Connaught	— Munich
Connaught	— Paris
Connaught	— Stuttgart
Club Air
Dublin	— Aberdeen
Cork	— Birmingham
Shannon	— Birmingham
Dublin	— Amsterdam
Dublin	— Rotterdam
Cork	— Amsterdam
Shannon	— Amsterdam

Mr. Cullen

For what countries specifically have Aer Lingus been granted fifth freedom rights at this time? Have any other airlines been granted fifth freedom rights in this country to other countries and has the Minister got applications on his desk at the moment from other airlines out of this country?

Mr. Wilson

The package envisaged reciprocity. That answers that. The fifth freedom rights refer to DublinManchester-Amsterdam, Dublin-Manchester-Copenhagen, Dublin-Manchester-Hamburg, Dublin-Manchester-Milan and Dublin-Birmingham-Brussels.

Mr. Cullen

Am I to understand from that that Aer Lingus have fifth freedom rights in the ultimate destination countries to pick up passengers and take them elsewhere other than the UK and into Ireland ultimately?

Mr. Wilson

The fifth freedom rights are at the intermediate points. Passengers can be picked up in Manchester.

Mr. Cullen

Have Aer Lingus not got fifth freedom rights in any of the European countries? Are there any applications pending to give them the fifth freedom rights within Europe since this is so essential to the tourism development the Minister was talking about?

Mr. Wilson

Ryanair and Aer Lingus, hopefully with the agreement of the French and German Governments, will be initiating services from both France and Germany. Aer Lingus are already providing a service from both countries and have announced a 20 per cent reduction in fares which is the most important thing of all.

Mr. Cullen

Has the Minister received any applications from any airlines for fifth freedom rights in this country coming from Canada through Ireland and onwards or from Australia through Ireland and onwards? Given that there are no direct flights from Canada to Ireland at present, nor from Australia to Ireland, have any airlines applied or are any in discussion with the Minister's Department to open up routes of that kind?

Mr. Wilson

The Deputy is right that there are no flights from Canada at the moment. Discussions are going on now between us and the Canadians in regard to the development of air transport between the two countries. Anent the Deputy's reference to Australia, we had succeeded in having an "add on" from Australia to London to Dublin and Dublin to Paris without extra cost to Australian travellers. As this is a year when Ireland's links to Australia are being highlighted, we expect that we will get a tourism benefit from this.

Mr. Cullen

Am I right in saying that there are airlines interested in working the routes I have outlined and that one of the problems is that we are insisting that they come through Shannon rather than through Dublin and that some of these airlines feel that the business must come through the capital if it is to be viable? The fact that we are offering them Shannon Airport as the airport in Ireland for this type of service rather than Dublin Airport which they want is a stumbling block.

Mr. Wilson

One of the North American airlines has ceased this year to come to Dublin and are countinuing their service to Shannon. Two airlines from the United Stated are interested in continuing the journey from Shannon to Dublin and the US Government will choose which of the two will get that facility. With regard to the Shannon position, it has been the policy of successive Governments that Shannon is the touch-down airport for transatlantic aircraft. That policy has not been changed.