Shannon Airport in south-west Ireland is preparing to open a new international connection to Paris in the wake of the row over Aer Lingus' decision to end its service to Heathrow, the centrepiece of the airport's operations for close on 50 years.

CityJet - owned by Air France - will from February 4 fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle, providing some relief for those foreign and local businesses in the Shannon area left marooned when Aer Lingus ended its Heathrow service last August, using the valuable landing slots it owns at the UK airport to service a new Northern Ireland route to Belfast.