ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the case of Shannon Airport, a regional airport in Ireland which reflects some of the issues regional airports are facing. A number of academic tools have been used to describe and analyse Shannon Airport's strategic position. A broad strategic assessment of Shannon Airport was first undertaken by the authors to help assess and interpret its positioning. The application of the SWOT analysis to Shannon Airport has highlighted a small number of critical features influencing each quadrant. Growing congestion and an increasing scarcity of take-off and landing slots from London Heathrow has meant that progressively slots have shifted from UK domestic routes to European or particularly long-haul routes, which are generally more profitable for the airlines. Evidence presented suggests that the well-being of UK regional airports is becoming increasingly polarised, with relatively prosperous large regional airports accompanied by much more vulnerable smaller ones.
