Sir, – I am at a loss to understand the obsession with the “Heathrow slots”. In certain quarters these are regarded as a vital strategic interest in terms of connectivity to the “outside” world, ie beyond the “British Isles”.
Connectivity is an oxymoron when applied to an overcrowded, runway deficient, multi-terminal sprawl like Heathrow which operates outdated air traffic control systems together with poor inter-terminal communications.
I cannot help thinking that a lot of this obsession with Heathrow is a post-colonial hangover and that losing these slots would be akin to cutting our umbilical cord to the “motherland”. These views are especially amusing when coming from the “nationalist” end of the political spectrum.
Most experienced long-distance flyers of my acquaintance avoid Heathrow like the plague in favour of Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris. In fact thousands of passengers from the UK are now using Dublin as a hub specifically to avoid Heathrow. We now have direct flights to the Gulf and will shortly have direct flights to Africa.
We should sell off Aer Lingus when we can, at a price reflecting its “valuable slots” and use the money to build something that we really need, like a new children’s hospital. – Yours, etc,
CHARLES KEANE,
Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.
Sir, – I see that a number of TDs are concerned about their chances of re-election in the event of an imminent sale of Aer Lingus, particularly those in constituencies close to Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports (“Coalition TDs voice concern over Aer Lingus”, January 29th).
The comment has been made that this “a year one issue” and not ” a year five issue” in terms of the life of a government. Perhaps Enda Kenny could have a quiet word with Willie Walsh and ask him to come back with an offer in 2017 when the country will, once again, reopen for business? – Yours, etc,
DEREK MacHUGH,
Foxrock,
Dublin 18.