The Government came under renewed pressure today to intervene in the decision by Aer Lingus to end its Shannon to Heathrow route.
Even though the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey stressed it was a commercial move by the airline, councillors in Co Clare pledged to force a reversal to the decision and disagreed with the Minister's assessment that the impact of the move was being exaggerated.
Mayor Patricia McCarthy, who called an all-party meeting in Ennis to formulate a strategy, warned that unless the service is retained the region would suffer a devastating economic blow.
She said: "The minister is saying there's nothing he can do. We don't accept that. The minister and the Government gave some commitments to this area and they can't turn their back on that.
We will be formulating exactly what we will be looking for, but top of the list is that the (Aer Lingus) slot is retained.
"The pressure we must continue to apply has got to lead to a reversal of this decision. Otherwise it could totally dismantle commercial tourism in the whole of the west of Ireland," she said.
Aer Lingus's announcement earlier this week that it is relocating to a new regional hub at Belfast International Airport was a shattering blow to Shannon, which carried more than 350,000 passengers a year on the four times a day service to Heathrow.
Although Mr Dempsey has asked the carrier to say if it was willing to change its mind, he has come under fire for appearing to suggest some in the mid-west region may be exaggerating the impact.
And Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell claimed Government non-intervention on the basis that it is a shareholder in the airline does not absolve him from political responsibility.
She said: "The implication that somehow the minister could do more if he wasn't a shareholder is ludicrous.
"Furthermore, it suggests that the Government would be better off disposing of its shares in Aer Lingus or that there was no justification for retaining its shares in the first place.
"The significant point here is that the Government must remember that while it is a shareholder in Aer Lingus it is also the Government and the minister cannot absolve himself of political responsibility on the effects of the decision.
"The Government should do what Government would do if Ryanair was threatening to pull a major route - that is to attract another carrier or to put together a package to attract the airline back.
"I am disappointed that the minister's decision instead has been to been to break his silence only to wash his hands of the situation and to try to understate the impact it will have."