Swedish airline will fly Dublin-Donegal route

Swedish airline Amapola Flyg will begin flying the Dublin Airport-Donegal State-subsidised service, lost when Stobart Air folded, from the end of the month.

The Government sought bids from airlines to provide the Dublin-Donegal service shortly after Stobart, which operated the route under a public services contract, ceased trading last month.

Eamon Ryan, Minister for Transport, and Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State, said on Thursday that their department had awarded the public services obligation contract to Amapola Flyg.

The Swedish carrier will begin flights between the capital and Donegal for seven months from Monday, July 26th, according to a statement.

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Neither Minister said how much the seven-month deal was worth to the airline.

Amapola will fly twice daily every day from each airport. The airline will use a 50-seat Fokker 50 turboprop on the route.

Mr Ryan said that to ensure continuity he would shortly begin seeking tenders to provide the service for four years once the Amapola deal ends in seven months’ time.

Ms Naughton explained that Amapola specialised in flying subsidised services to remote communities, making it a “good fit” on the Donegal route.

Stockholm headquartered Amapola already flies seven public service routes in Sweden and Finland.

Erik Salén, its chief executive, said the airline was excited to be entering the Irish market.