Last day of Shannon-Heathrow service

Dublin- The Aer Lingus service between Shannon and Heathrow will come to an end today, after almost 60 years. The company took a decision last August to transfer its valuable Heathrow slots to Belfast, from where a new daily service to London begins tomorrow. The controversial decision caused uproar in the midwest and west regions where people feared it would damage tourism and employment in the area.
Industry and tourism sources said it would have disastrous consequences for jobs in the region, and could have a negative impact on visitor numbers to the west of Ireland, because it ended connectivity to one of the biggest and busiest airports in the world. Aer Lingus stood over its decision, saying it was done for commercial reasons, and it believes it can grow significant business out of Belfast.