Gateway to the World

Public Sector Magazine

Shannon: Gateway To The World Shannon Airport has long been recognised as a gateway to the world, but under the leadership of Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, it has become much more than just an aviation hub. It is now a symbol of progress, innovation, and inclusivity. Through its involvement with the 30% Club, The Shannon Airport Group is breaking down barriers and leading the charge for gender diversity in aviation and beyond.

The 30% Club is an initiative to achieve at least 30% female representation on company boards and senior management.

The Shannon Airport Group has wholeheartedly embraced this mission, embedding gender diversity and inclusion across its operations.

“We are committed to ensuring that women have equal opportunities to thrive in the aviation industry,” says Mary Considine. “Through mentoring and leadership development programmes, we are actively working to empower our female employees.”

The Group is home to many women in roles traditionally dominated by men. From female firefighters to airport police officers, engineers, and senior executives, the organisation leads by example. These women are not just filling roles but excelling in them and proving that aviation is no longer male-dominated.

Inspiring the Next Generation The Shannon Airport Group understands that gender perceptions form at a young age. Research suggests that

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children start forming views on gender roles as early as two years old, with these ideas solidifying by the age of seven. Staff from the company demonstrated and challenged these gender stereotypes when they visited a local primary school with an interesting creative challenge for the school children.

“We asked children to draw three job roles at Shannon Airport: a firefighter, a police officer, and an engineer,” Considine explains. “The concerning result was that over 70% of the children depicted these roles as male.”

At the end of the lesson, the children were surprised and delighted when three real-life Shannon Airport professionals - a firefighter, a police officer, and an engineer - walked in, and they were all women.

The moment was transformative. “Can women do the same jobs as men?” the teacher asked. The resounding answer? “Yes, they can!” The initiative opened young minds and ignited aspirations among the students. In the years to come, it may well be that Shannon Airport receives an application from a young woman aspiring to become a firefighter whose career dreams were shaped that day.

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(L-R) Rita Meehan, Women in Aviation Mid-West Region Organising Committee, Donna Marie O’Neill, Airborne Capital, Lynne Embleton, CEO of Aer Lingus, Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group and Caroline Moore, Specialist Aviation Ireland.

Empowering Women in Aviation Mary Considine is passionate about female leadership in aviation. “Women have played a vital role in aviation since its inception, and we must continue to encourage and attract more women to the sector,” she says.

To further this mission, The Shannon Airport Group supported the establishment of the Women in Aviation MidWest Region organisation in 2023. The inaugural event brought together over 150 women from the aviation and aerospace sectors across Limerick and Clare. The initiative has since gained momentum, with The Shannon Airport Group recently hosting an event at the airport featuring keynote speaker Lynne Embleton from Aer Lingus. It has proven a powerful platform for women to learn from their peers, collaborate, enjoy personal growth and career development, and form strong, lasting connections.

“Our focus remains on fostering an inclusive environment in aviation where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” Mary asserts. “And while we’ve made significant strides, there’s always more to be done.”

Aviation Policy and the Future of Shannon Airport Beyond gender diversity, The Shannon Airport Group is advocating for a more balanced national aviation policy. The Group, which contributes €4 billion to Ireland’s GDP and supports over 20,000 jobs, believes that reducing dependency on Dublin Airport aligns with the government’s Ireland 2040 ambitions.

“There’s a lot of talk about the passenger cap at Dublin Airport, but the reality is that there is underutilised capacity

across our other state airports,” Mary points out. “Shannon has the capacity to alleviate pressure on Dublin Airport while it deals with its planning issues.”

Almost 40% of Ireland’s population lives within Shannon Airport’s immediate catchment area, and 38% of tourists arriving at Dublin Airport travel to the country’s West. The Shannon Airport Group is calling for national aviation policy to reflect this reality, supporting growth in air traffic and connectivity to the Regions bringing better balance to the national economy and supporting tourism and business outside of the greater Dublin area.

“In that regard, we are pleased to see the draft National Programme for Government’s commitment to reviewing National Aviation Policy,” Mary says.

“We see a real opportunity for Shannon to lead the way in rebalancing the national landscape,” Mary asserts. “We’re very ambitious for the Group, and we see a huge opportunity for growth. An aviation policy that recognises the need for balance between the regions is fundamental. It needs to be actioned now!”

A Growing Hub for Business and Tourism Shannon Airport is not just an aviation hub but a vital economic driver. In 2024, the airport secured 2.1 million passengers - a 7% increase on 2023 and its highest number since 2009. The airport operated 33 routes to the US, UK, and Europe and enjoyed a 12% increase in transatlantic traffic last year.

“Transatlantic travel from Shannon has never been easier,” says Mary. “With US preclearance, combined EU/TSA security screening, and the Mobile Passport Control App, we ensure a

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“We are committed to ensuring that women have equal opportunities to thrive in the aviation industry. Through mentoring and leadership development programmes, we are actively working to empower our female employees ” Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group seamless experience for passengers.”

The airport’s dedication to customer experience has not gone unnoticed.

Shannon Airport was ranked fourth in Ireland’s Customer Experience Insights (CXi) Report 2024 and claimed the Best CX Team award in the transport category for the second consecutive year. According to the RED C Brand Reaction Index (BRII) Ireland 2024, it also maintained its status as Ireland’s top airport brand.

“These accolades are a testament to our commitment to excellence and our customer first approach. It is great to see more and more people discovering how easy and pleasant it is to fly from Shannon Airport,” Mary notes proudly.

Innovation and Sustainability at Shannon Airport

Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group

Beyond passenger growth, the Group’s Shannon Airport Business Park, next to the airport, has become a hub for global business. It hosts over 300 companies employing over 10,000 people and is Ireland’s largest multi-sectoral business park outside the capital.

Among these are cutting-edge firms in the aviation, life sciences, engineering, and Medtech sectors, including Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI), who are at the forefront of innovation in autonomous driving, micro-mobility, and advanced air mobility.

Sustainability is also a core focus for the Shannon Airport Group. “Our Sustainability Strategy aims for a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050,” Mary explains.

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A deep retrofit of the airport terminal and the construction of a 1.2 MW solar farm—meeting 15-20% of the terminal’s electricity needs—are key steps toward this goal.

The Group welcomes the Programme for Government’s support for Shannon Airport as a hub for testing new aviation technologies under a National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Policy Roadmap, and the recognition of the region’s potential in relation to renewable energy planning, and its commitment to progressing the implementation of the recommendations of the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce.

“We are uniquely positioned to become a leader in green energy,” she adds. “Our region’s access to Atlantic wind energy presents a huge opportunity for sustainable aviation fuel production, supporting airline partners in decarbonisation.”

Looking Ahead With over a decade of achievement already behind it, the Group remains ambitious and forward-thinking. “We may live regionally, but we think globally,” Mary says. “With the right policies in place, we can contribute even more to Ireland’s economy.”

With its commitment to gender diversity, business innovation, and sustainability, Shannon Airport is more than just an airport - it is a driving force for progress in Ireland and beyond. Under Mary Considine’s leadership, the future looks bright for this aviation powerhouse.