Shannon: There were no disruptions to flights from Shannon Airport yesterday despite the one-hour work stoppage by more than 350 airport workers.
A spokeswoman for Aer Rianta said all flights scheduled to leave Shannon during yesterday's meeting by SIPTU workers left on time.
"Naturally not all services were operational during the time of the meeting.
"Some bars and cafes remained closed from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. However, essential services like security and fire cover were maintained.
"We kept all disruptions to a minimum, and all flights scheduled to leave between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. left on time."
More than 600 passengers left Shannon yesterday on two Aer Lingus flights to the US and one Ryanair flight to Stansted while Aer Rianta SIPTU members met in a nearby hotel to discuss the future of the airport.
A total of 520 people are employed at Shannon, 85 per cent of whom are members of SIPTU.
Speaking at yesterday's meeting, SIPTU's branch secretary at Shannon, Mr Tony Kenny, said he could rule out the possibility of further industrial action during the summer period.
An estimated 2.2 million passengers travel through Shannon Airport every year. According to Mr Kenny, one-third of these passengers travel on the transatlantic route.
"The Minister's ill-advised decision now more than ever makes it essential that the present transatlantic, dual-gateway bilateral policy is retained and underpinned in its current form.
"Any diminution of Shannon's passenger base in a stand-alone scenario, in competition with Dublin, Cork and the regional airports, would lead to its downfall," said Mr Kenny.