Shannon celebrates another award

Shannon Airport’s revival has been recognised with yet another award. It has been given the overall Airport Achievement Award for 2014/2015 from the European Regions Airline Association (ERA).

The award, which was announced at prestigious ceremony at the Catalunya Congress Centre in Barcelona on Wednesday night makes for an unprecedented 10 days for the airport in terms of award wins.

On Monday week last, it landed the international marketing prize for airports under four million passengers at the World Routes Awards in Chicago. It also follows Shannon Airport’s inaugural Airport Achievement Award at the Irish Aviation Industry Awards in June.

This latest award, presented at the Association’s General Assembly, is the first time an Irish airport has been presented with the overall ERA award, which was established as the ‘ERA Airport of the Year Award’ in 2002. Previous winners of the award include London City, Budapest and Munich Airports.

The aim of the award is to recognise the best achievement(s) by an airport over the previous 12 months, which has had a positive impact on intra-European air transport operations. It also aims to foster airline-airport partnerships and encourage best practice.

Shannon stood out from its contenders for ending five years of, what the judges noted was, “seemingly interminable decline” by attracting new airline customers and making a profit in its first year as an independent entity.

The judges were also impressed by how independence from the national airport authority was used by management to concentrate on the needs of the local community and stakeholders.

Another reason cited for Shannon’s selection for the top honour was how it had put itself at the very heart of the community in the region.