HUNDREDS of passengers were grounded at Shannon as Aer Lingus cancelled several flights to the airport over the past two weeks.
It is understood that the cancellations happened after one of its planes was damaged by fire at Orlando airport in Florida on October 7.
The 258 passengers affected were offered alternative flights or a full refund. On October 12 and 13, cancellations of New York and Boston services left 669 passengers to make alternative arrangements.
An Aer Lingus spokesman said: “These cancellations were due to a technical issue with one of our long-haul aircraft meaning we have not had sufficient aircraft available to operate our full long-haul schedule.
But fears have been raised that the grounding of flights will damage Shannon.
Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley said it caused significant hassle for passengers, and potentially damaged the reputation of Shannon Airport.
“This cannot happen again. Every flight and every passenger is crucial to Shannon Airport,” he said.
