SNN
All airports have employees whose livlihoods depend on their continued existence. The problem at Shannon is that they put passenger growth ahead of everything else including common sense.
Cork has had numerous suspect offers over the years to grow traffic including the daft proposal to re open the old terminal but has reacted more cautiously. Paying airlines to use airports is a highly questionable strategy.
It now has 7 airlines competing for business although Ryanair and Aerlingus are the dominant carriers.
Everyone knows Shannon has been protected for narrow political considerations for many decades.
If they operated to a commercial mandate they would probably make a profit and generate between 1.5 and 2 million terminal pax per year as well as holding most of their transit business.
The scale of the Ryanair operation and the Aerlingus transatlantic operation are unsustainable. Ryanair got a very generous 5 year deal in 2005. What do they do after 5 years? Ask for a 50% reduction. It would be funny if it wern't so serious.