Aer Arann is to reduce the number of flights on its Dublin to Cork route from nine to three a day from November, when Ryanair begins a new service.
The airline said it will operate flights in the morning, afternoon and evening and said its schedule was being reduced in direct response to Ryanair's announcement. "We can't compete at those low fares," a spokeswoman said.
Aer Arann's flights will be reduced from November 24th. Its three daily fights will start at €29.99 excluding tax.
Ryanair plans to begin operating three return flights on the same day at fares starting at 99 cent.
Aer Arann said the move would not affect staff numbers in Cork in the short term, as the airline would continue to offer flights to Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton, Edinburgh and Belfast city. Cork is one of Aer Arann's major hubs. It has over 40 employees, 25 per cent of its fleet, and a maintenance crew based there.
Earlier this month, Ryanair chief executive, Michael O'Leary, announced that Cork would be the airline's 14th European base and would operate three daily flights to Dublin in November and two new daily flights to London Gatwick. Aer Arann carried over 400,000 people through Cork last year on its 125 weekly flights to Dublin, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh and Southampton. It also launched a weekly flight to Lorient in Brittany in June, which will not operate over the winter.
