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AER LINGUS REGIONAL has announced that it is to add 20 new jobs when it expands its services in 2014 at Shannon.
The airline, which is operated by Aer Arann, said it will also have 100,000 additional passengers, and has announced new routes.
It expects to grow total passenger numbers from Shannon to 200,000 by the end of 2014, rising to 240,000 passengers by the end of 2015.
It confirmed that the decision to expand its services to and from Shannon was directly related to the Government’s announcement in Budget 2014 that it would abolish the travel tax from April 2014.
New routes
Aer Lingus is to introduce a new daily Bristol service from 3 April 2014, and is also expected to announce more new routes and services from other airports very soon.
The airline also said that it will double capacity on its Shannon Birmingham route, and an additional service on its Shannon Manchester service.
Shannon Manchester will now operate three daily flights, with two daily flights on the Shannon Birmingham route. Aer Lingus Regional is offering preclearance connectivity from Birmingham and Manchester onto Aer Lingus’ services to New York and Boston via the Shannon morning flights.
Aer Lingus Regional has seen a 10 per cent rise in its passenger numbers in 2013 compared to the previous year.
Aer Arann’s Chief Commercial Officer, Simon Fagan said its Shannon expansion programme was a key part of the airline’s growth plan.
He added that they expect to carry 25,000 passengers on the Bristol route in the first year.
CEO of Shannon Group plc, Neil Pakey, said that the newly-independent airport has “had a positive start to life” and that summer passenger numbers recorded month-over-month increases on last year of close to 10 per cent and up to 40 per cent on transatlantic.
2013 was all about stopping the decline and stabilising passenger numbers. We achieved that and are now in growth mode.
Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar said that the news was a further boost from the suspension of the travel tax in Budget 2014.
Since the election I have worked hard to promote and encourage new air routes into Ireland. Earlier positive announcements include the United service from Shannon Airport to Chicago, and the return of Aer Lingus flights to New York and Boston from Shannon.
He added that he is “confident that the airport can look forward to renewed growth next year and beyond.”
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Great news for Limerick City and the entire Midwest!
Well there you go folks a government decision that directly created jobs according to the company themselves. The begrudgers are going to have an interesting time denying this one, deflection will prob be the chose tactic… Yawn!
Planes are about as sustainable as this government. Adding more is only a short term solution to a long term problem. Carbon footprint is bad enough as it is.
Yes the Government have done a u-turn on their idiotic Travel Tax when they saw it was having a negative effect on the sector which was pointed out by M O’leary and others before its introduction yet they still brought it in
The last government brought it in not this one…please stop making yourself look stupid..stop spoofing!
Asides from who brought it in is it not wrong to encourage unsustainable travel?
I fly with Aer Arran regularly and I think they are by far the best airline I’ve flown with. So good news all round.
No No No Kenneth, we only want bad news that is the governments fault…..what ever will we complain about on this article….I know, look at that tie Varadkar is wearing, a bit pink for my liking.
Plenty of bad news today withe announcement of high end job losses at Pfizer!
weren’t Aer Lingus going to downgrade their presence in Shannon only last month?
As confusing as it might be this is technically a different airline to Aer Lingus. Different aircraft, crew, management and routes.
That was the cabin crew base, the crew had threatened to strike due to staffing levels on new services to the USA so management said they would need to close the base and rehire new staff, eventually an agreement was reached. Aer Lingus still plan on adding year round services to the USA, a new route to Malaga & Lanzarote and todays announcement of extra Regional flights.
Probably phased in over a five year period as always with .gv propaganda.
Actually no, the day the extra aircraft arrives is the day the amount of flights essentially double
have your say