Turkish Airlines has been granted permission to carry air cargo from Shannon to Chicago, starting immediately, and will become Ireland’s only direct all-cargo service to North America.
The new service will be operated beginning tomorrow, 1 May with Turkish Cargo’s A330F aircraft. Shannon Airport first welcomed Turkish Airlines in early March this year when the airline began making refuelling stops at the airport.
Shannon Group, which formally came into being last September, has identified a major opportunity for the development of an air-freight hub at the airport, since a large proportion of Irish air cargo exports currently travel by truck to UK airports due to a lack of suitable direct flights.
Commenting on the announcement, Shannon Group CEO, Neil Pakey said, “The US is Ireland’s largest market for air cargo exports and this service will benefit Irish exporters as they will be able to enjoy Shannon’s uncongested cargo facilities and efficient processing. Turkish Airlines is one of the fastest-growing and most successful airline companies in the world. We’re confident this will be the start of a long and successful partnership between Turkish Airlines and Shannon Airport and we will be engaging with them about the future expansion of their operation.”
The new service will finally give Irish exporters a dedicated freighter service to the US. Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is a global leader in the movement of freight, mail and goods and had over 1.5 million tonnes of cargo throughput last year alone. As well as being well connected to US road and rail networks, the airport offers connections to over 200 cities across the US and the world, opening a whole range of new distribution channels from Shannon.
Welcoming the announcement Rose Hynes, chairman, Shannon Group said, “Shannon Group has identified a very real opportunity for developing Ireland’s leading air cargo base at Shannon. We are delighted to have this new business relationship with Turkish Airlines, one of the world’s leading airlines. Their decision to commence this service at Shannon is another step in the transformation of the airport. This new service provides high quality cargo services to the US for exporters throughout Ireland. I see this as the lift off for an air freight hub at Shannon. We will be looking to add to this service and to continue supporting Irish businesses in connecting with global markets.”
