Ian Guider: Government’s priority must be to set a firm date for travel

The political foot-dragging on travel and digital certs will not make any of the nerves on the viability of Shannon go away

There has not been an Aer Lingus flight out of Shannon Airport in more than a year. Picture: Arthur Ellis/Press 22

The promotional email from Aer Lingus dropped into my inbox in late March, offering flights to Barbados for less than €300.

If you got past dreaming of warm blue waters and sun-kissed Caribbean beaches, the important detail which I suspect many people didn’t spot at first glance was that those new flights, which start in October, were actually departing from Manchester Airport.

Last week’s news from Aer Lingus that it was shutting its cabin crew ...