Just some info from local press on that terminal expansion and plans. You have to register for the full articles so i'll post . Feel free to remove if not appropriate
http://www.clarepeople.com/content/view/528/555/
THE Shannon Airport Authority has moved to expand the airport’s €30 million terminal building to prepare for the end of the Shannon stopover. The phased ending of the stopover will be complete by April of next year. The Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) is hoping that by then the airport will have a competitive advantage by having in place a full Customs and Border Protection Post. As a result, the SAA has lodged plans with Clare County Council for a two-storey extension to the existing terminal.
Planning documents lodged with the council state that “the proposed terminal extension is an integral part of Shannon Airport’s physical development to meet the significant challenges that lay ahead for the airport and in particular the introduction of ‘open skies’ in April 2008. “The design updates the existing terminal building in a sensitive manner, improving the external appearance of the older building, as well as the overall function of the terminal.” The SAA’s consultants believe that the extension will lead to an improved passenger experience at Shannon. In a statement, the SAA said yesterday, “Management at Shannon Airport confirmed that the DAA are currently examining the feasibility of upgrading the current US Immigration pre-inspection facility to a Full Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Inspection Post at Shannon.
“Exploratory talks have been held between the DAA, Shannon Airport management, the Department of Transport and the CBP Organisation on the matter. As part of the feasibility study, the airport confirms that they are seeking planning permission to extend the terminal building and carry out alterations to existing sections of the main terminal building. The statement said that “summer 2008 is the target date for the establishment of this facility subject to approval”. Explaining the significance of the move to put in place a customs facility last month, the SAA’s Executive chairman, Pat Shanahan said, “This means that airlines can fly into any domestic terminal in the US and won’t have to go through the international hubs. That is going to be a major bonus in Shannon and Shannon would be first airport in Europe to have that facility
“That is one of our tactics to try to sustain transatlantic traffic.”
A decision is due on the application during the summer.
http://www.clarepeople.com/content/view/562/555/
THE Executive Chairman of the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA), Pat Shanahan, has confirmed that €150 million will be spent on capital investment at the airport over the next 10 years. Mr Shanahan also confirmed that Shannon was on course to make a profit this year and that the Marsh Point Bar – closed last year as part of cutbacks at the airport – is to re-open in the next number of weeks. Mr Shanahan last Friday briefed airport employees on the future direction of Shannon following the implementation of the “survival plan”. Mr Shanahan said, “Morale among staff is positive. We have got to a very significant change in Shannon so there is going to be a period of time where people are unsure of their environment. Practically every job in the airport has changed so there will be a settling-in period. “But after two years of discussion and negotiations, people were more than relieved that we have actually come to a conclusion, particularly the employees remaining in Shannon. We are quite anxious to move on and turn Shannon into a vibrant international airport and get to a level of exceeding the customer services where Shannon was always deemed to be a friendly face.” With traffic levels at currently 3.6 million, Mr Shanahan said that the SAA had ambitions to breach the five million mark in the next number of years. “We don’t want to be overly optimistic either, we want to be realistic about what we can achieve. We are optimistic that we can achieve the figure of five million in a sensible time period,” he said. “We are currently growing at 10 per cent per annum and if the various markets continue to expand, then we will get close to it very soon. It is a very cyclical industry so it is very difficult to predict what might happen Mr Shanahan said that there were no immediate plans to lodge a business plan for the airport to Government. He said, “Our focus has been on implementing and making sure we have our cost base right.
He said, “We hope that we would have a very clear picture of the viability of the airport at the back end of this year..