REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A DINNER TO MARK THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF AER LINGUS
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A DINNER TO MARK THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF AER LINGUS FRIDAY, 27TH MAY, 2011
Dia dhibh a chairde, it’s a pleasure to join you on such a special occasion for Aer Lingus as it celebrates its 75th anniversary. I would like to thank the Chairman and Chief Executive for their kind invitation to attend as guest of honour this evening.
At the outset, I would like to remember the late Dr. Garret Fitzgerald who long before taking an active part in politics and Irish life, played such a vital role as Research and Schedules Manager in this airline in the 1940s and 50s and saw the opening of its transatlantic service in 1958. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilis.
For many of us a career with Aer Lingus seemed to be the epitome of glamour so I hope you will not hold it against me that in a former life my husband, who was also an Aer Lingus employee, left the company for the distinctly unglamorous career of dentistry.
Aer Lingus’s service history started on this date, 27th May in 1936, when Captain Eric Armstrong pilotted five passengers on the six seater De Havilland biplane Iolar from Baldonnel to Bristol. Back in those pioneering days of international air travel the airline employed all of two pilots, three ground staff and one engineer – a marked contrast to the airline of today with its staff of 4,000, over seventy destinations,a fleet of 40 Airbusses and ten million passengers just last year.
Seventy five years ago, one year before our Constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann came into force, two years before we had our first President, Douglas Hyde and three years before the second world war broke out in Europe, the government of a nascent republic in a time of severe economic and trade difficulties and in the midst of a global recession, established its very own state airline. No one, at that time, could have imagined just how intrinsic air travel would become to the weft and warp of our economy, our tourism or our communications with the world. But everyone at that time knew that the creation of Aer Lingus was much more than the creation of an airline - it was a statement of national intent, an expression of the optimism and openness of a young country finding its wings and drawing on the spirit of an old nation that for centuries, from the time of Brendan the navigator, had been curious about the world beyond its own shoreline.
In 2009, over 26 million passengers, that’s nearly six times our entire population, travelled through Irish airports with Aer Lingus and Ryanair, two Irish international airlines, accounting for the vast majority of these journeys. We have an aviation sector that is dynamic, competitive and utterly essential to our national economic infrastructure.
A modern transport system with direct links to Europe and beyond is vital to attracting and holding on to foreign investment. Our open economy with its global export profile demands that we have the capacity to connect directly and easily with our trading partners all over the world. Our air travel capacity is vital in maintaining the links with our global Irish family and with the rest of the world. It is the life blood of our tourism industry as visitors from all over the world are carried safely and comfortably to and from our shores.
Transatlantic access is hugely important for Ireland’s economy and throughout the years it has helped deepen the very close cultural and economic ties we enjoy with the United States. Travel to and from Britain and Europe has become as frequent and accessible as the local bus service. And of course visitor numbers from both Britain and the United States were enhanced by at least four this past week and we know that the welcome which greeted Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama and their spouses will entice many others to come and enjoy our unique landscape, our legendary welcome, our culture and proud heritage.
In its seventy five years, this airline has survived many challenges - a world war, two recessions, volcanic ash (let’s not say too much about that for fear of tempting fate) and world health epidemics, and if not forty shades of green then as many costume changes as on a four day State Visit. In more recent years, Aer Lingus has undergone major transformations in terms of its business model with major challenges to staff and management alike as a consequence. The serious and complex nature of these recessionary times will certainly test this sector’s mettle, its innovation and its flexibility as it navigates through turbulent economic weather. I have no doubt that the qualities of creativity, imagination and vision that inspired the foundation of Aer Lingus continue to infuse the Irish aviation sector today and will see it through to a bright future.
There are only about a dozen airlines in the world that have been in existence for longer than Aer Lingus’ seventy five years, proof if any were needed of this company’s strength resilience and endurance. I thank all those whose lives were invested in this company. You have always made us feel so proud because you embody a human warmth, a caring nature and a professionalism that aspires to perfection. I hope that the next 75 years will be as successful as the last!
Enjoy the celebrations in each others company. Comhghairdeas libh ‘s go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.