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TÁNAISTE LEO VARADKAR has said that he is concerned that Shannon and Cork airports will recover from Covid-19.
The economy minister, who is currently restricting his movements after an official in his department tested positive for the virus, said that while many flight routes from Dublin will return “quickly”, that might not be the case at smaller airports. from Ireland.
Speaking via Zoom Call at an event organized by the aviation maintenance company Dublin Aerospace to launch their new learning scheme, Varadkar said: “I am really concerned about that.”
“I think routes like Dublin to London Heathrow will come back very quickly and will be fine. I would be concerned about Shannon and Cork recovering and very concerned about some of those routes that are really of strategic importance to our island. “
Before the pandemic, the Tánaiste said, Ireland was “doing very well” by establishing “direct routes to places people would never have imagined before” such as China and the Middle East.
“Those [routes] not returning would be a real risk for us because our economy is very international, globalized and connected ”.
Varadkar was supposed to attend the Dublin Aerospace event in person this morning to announce the company’s 2020 apprenticeship program, which has expanded by 20% this year.
But the Tánaiste had to briefly abandon Zoom’s call after a fire alarm sounded at his home, which returned moments later.
“Nothing’s going right right now,” he joked.
The Dublin Aerospace Aeronautical Engineer Apprenticeship Program is a paid four-year apprenticeship supported by Solas.
The firm also plans to hire another 29 apprentices this month, bringing its workforce to 350.
Travel restrictions
Airlines have targeted the government for its pandemic-related air travel restrictions in recent weeks.
Yesterday, Ryanair reiterated its warning that it will close its bases in Cork and Shannon for the winter unless the Irish government adopts the EU traffic light system for international travel.
Last week, Michael O’Leary, executive director of the low-cost airline group, said: “Ireland has been locked in like North Korea. We are the only EU country that has these EU restrictions in place. “
But speaking today, Varadkar said that his trips to Berlin and Brussels over the weekend had reassured him that Ireland is not an outlier when it comes to the ill effects of the pandemic on air travel.
“You are a little concerned that if we have a stricter aviation policy for other countries, that could cause a lot of damage. If we are perceived as less welcoming to aviation and air travel, that could have longer-term consequences, ”he said.
But, added Varadkar, “it was not possible to get a direct flight from Brussels to Berlin, believe it or not. That’s what connectivity has dropped ”.
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Traffic light system
On the new EU traffic light system, the Business Minister said the proposal is still “a bit in the air.”
He explained that the plan will be presented before the EU General Affairs plan next month for approval.
“That will be led by the foreign ministers, as opposed to the health ministers,” Varadkar said.
“I think the various foreign ministers are likely to take a broader and more holistic view than the health ministers who would take a narrower view, so it’s probably positive in terms of getting a good outcome for aviation.”
However, he said the “big challenge” is that all virus numbers are “going in the wrong direction.”
Varadkar said that when the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, launched the idea for the first time, it was going to give a “green light” to countries that had a virus incidence “of 25 per 100,000 for 14 days. , and a lower positivity rate. ” Of 2%.
“At that time, the UK, for example, would have qualified; all the Nordic countries would have.
“Based on the metrics and the way things are going, it might just be the Baltic states for next week and Cyprus that qualify, so that will make it more difficult.”
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