Skynet director steps down

A major shareholder in fledgling Shannon-based airline Skynet has stepped down from the board of directors and reduced his stakeholding…

A major shareholder in fledgling Shannon-based airline Skynet has stepped down from the board of directors and reduced his stakeholding by a third.

Mr Tom Kane, the American-born owner of Adare Manor, Co Limerick, played a central role in the establishment last summer of the carrier, which operates a daily flight to Amsterdam in partnership with Russian airline Aeroflot.

Skynet is valued at €750,000. Mr Kane initially acquired a €250,000 holding. Shortly after Mr Kane's resignation last month, chief executive Mr Dick Healy and marketing manager Ms Anne-Marie Hayes left the company.

Skynet director Mr Boris Krivchenko, who is also project manager at Aeroflot in Shannon, said Mr Healy had been brought on board to oversee the setting-up of the business and had departed when this task was completed.

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The airline plans to operate a daily flight to London Gatwick from next March. It will take delivery of three new Boeing 737s at that time. A campaign to encourage Dutch tourists to the mid-west area will be launched with return flights to Shannon from the Netherlands for €149.