Going back on SNN-LHR was one of the worst kept secrets internally in Aer Lingus for the past few months. I don't think anyone would argue that in the past it was a profitable route, but the reality was it was only marginally so. The fee's being payed to Shannon airport were ridiculous in comparison to those being paid by Ryanair, and coupled to the this the cost of running a base at the airport from a staff cost was just not viable in the long term.
With the relaunch of the route the picture is fundamentally different. The staff cost base is significantly lower and the new fee's being paid for operating there both on this route and on the transatlantic operation to Shannon Airport are far less. The route is now viable again and Aer Lingus have been negotiating this for some time.
Michael O Leary knew Aer Lingus were going back on the route. He just wanted to the be the person seen by the people of the local area as the saviour of the West and would be the one to reintroduce it. Unfortunately, you don't just decide these things overnight and he was well aware of the plan to launch it again by Aer Lingus for the summer schedule in 2009 once the local staff had signed off on the new work practice agreement. The new fees with Shannon had already been agreed. Hence he made the statement two days before the said staff agreement was signed.