asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether the granting of permission to TWA to fly into Dublin has led to an increase in the number of tourists coming to Ireland from the USA.
140.
Ceisteanna——Questions. Oral Answers. - Transatlantic Air Passengers.
139.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if there has been an increase in the number of passengers disembarking from transatlantic flights at Shannon Airport this year as compared with last year.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 140 together.
The number of transatlantic passengers disembarking at Shannon Airport in the first nine months of this year was 141,974, a reduction of 6.3 per cent on the figure of 151,039 in the same period last year.
The total number of transatlantic passengers disembarking in Ireland in the first nine months of this year fell by 1.1 per cent on 1973 figures, but the decline in total US traffic to Europe for 1974, arising from inflation in the US and increased travel costs, is estimated to be of the order of 20 per cent.
Despite the troubles in the North, therefore, Ireland's performance is better than the European average.
As regards the effect of the TWA service to Dublin, the figures show that during the five-month period from commencement of the service in May to the end of September, TWA carried 15,339 passengers to Shannon, as compared with 12,656 in the same period of 1973, that is an increase of 2,683, and they also carried 7,139 passengers to Dublin. In the meantime Pan American Airways had ceased scheduled services to Ireland and it is not possible to say to what extent the increase in TWA passengers represented traffic which would otherwise have travelled by PAA, traffic diverted from the Aerlínte service or new traffic generated by TWA.
Bord Fáilte have informed me that TWA have vigorously promoted Ireland as a destination and it is the view of Bord Fáilte that the granting of Dublin rights to TWA has had beneficial effects for Irish tourism.