Delta’s service from New York to Shannon is being shelved October 4 after 13 years.
Councilor Sean McLoughlin said the Atlanta-based airline’s basis for ending the service did not stand up.
“The airline claimed that low yield factors had determined their decision to end the service. However, the service carried 30,000 passengers last winter alone.
“Furthermore, the number of persons using the service has
dramatically increased in recent weeks. Much of these increases can be attributed to the introduction of pre-clearance facilities at Shannon and the airline’s decision to lower its fares,” said McLoughlin.
Pre-clearance facilities for U.S.-bound passengers at the County Clare airport now include both immigration and customs.
However, Aer Lingus, which is currently considering the future of its own Shannon to New York service, has stated that it would be using the pre-clearance facilities at Shannon until the middle of next year at the earliest.
Aer Lingus has indicated that it will not make use of the pre-clearance facilities at Shannon before the same facilities come into operation at Dublin airport.
The Aer Lingus position is that using the facilities would mean having to land at domestic terminals at JFK and Logan airport in Boston, this as opposed to current arrivals at international terminals.
Two U.S. carriers operating out of Shannon, Continental and U.S. Airways, have signed up for pre-clearance at the airport but both have the option of using their own domestic facilities onlt flight from Shannon reach the U.S.