Ironically Galway might be better off without a jet runway as Aer Arann and Flybe are safe from a Ryanair assault.
That said Galway will be only 50 mins from Shannon when the motorway is built. Ryanair has repeatedly complained about disappointing yields there.
Wouldn't it suit them and the SAA fine if Galway and Aer Arann gave up the fight and Aerlingus scaled down their operations in Cork.
There has always been a hidden agenda in support of Shannon. For instance I know of one senior politician who was accused of rocking the boat when he expressed the hope that Cork would get transatlantic flights.
Some years ago a then member of management at Cork spoke of a wish to get US flights. He was promptly told to "go easy on the atlantic"
Shannon also cried foul some years ago just because Aerlingus put billboards around Cork advertising the Cork/Dublin/JFK option available at the time.