Shannon boss on red carpet in Dubai

Having rolled out the red carpet early last week for US billionaire Donald Trump's arrival, Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) chair Rose Hynes received some VIP treatment herself in Dubai yesterday as the World Free Zones organisation held its first board meeting.

Hynes took up the role of treasurer with the new body at its inaugural board meeting, which was hosted in the Jumeirah Emirates Tower Hotel by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.

Her appointment seems appropriate given that duty-free shopping was started at the Co Clare airport in 1947 by Brendan O’Regan.

Of course, these so-called free zones are about more than duty-free retailing these days.

It’s about attracting clusters of foreign direct investment to drive economic growth from hubs such as Shannon.

Hynes said Shannon was in “great company” as a member of the new Dubai-headquartered body and that membership of it would “promote an exchange of ideas and business connections, and will facilitate trade”.

"Undoubtedly, Shannon and Ireland will benefit from that," she added.

With Shannon gaining its independence last year from the Dublin Airport Authority, Hynes needs to play every card if she's to succeed in growing passenger traffic from the 1.4 million level of 2013 and develop other aviation-related activities on the land around the airport that was previously managed by Shannon Development but is now part of the SAA's remit.

Having a seat at the top table of this new body might prove useful as she sets about trying to achieve those challenging targets.