GALWAY AIRPORT’S board and management said yesterday they intend to meet Aer Arann’s examiner, the airline’s management and “relevant Government Ministers” over the coming days.
The airport at Carnmore outside Galway city relies heavily on Aer Arann flights.
The company and airport have both confirmed flight services will continue to run as normal, and yesterday Aer Arann chairman Pádraig Ó Céidigh said he was “very confident about the airline’s future”.
A spokesman for Mr Ó Céidigh told The Irish Timesthe chairman believed that the airline had a "very strong strategy and viable business plan in place" and it was "now a matter for the examiner".
Mr Ó Céidigh intends to work hard to ensure the safety of the 320 jobs at the airline, the spokesman emphasised.
The Minister for Social Protection and Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív said yesterday that Aer Arann was “of major importance to regional airports, including Galway airport”.
“It is hoped that the examiner will be able to resolve the financial issues and secure the future of the company,” Mr Ó Cuív said.
“There will be no effect on services to the Aran islands as those services are run by a separate company,” the former Gaeltacht and islands minister pointed out.
Galway-based Fine Gael senator Fidelma Healy-Eames said the Government “must show commitment to job retention and regional development particularly in the west”.
Passengers travelling through Galway Airport yesterday expressed a mixture of concern and disappointment about the situation. “We’d heard some rumours before, and it’s been an awfully difficult year for the airline business generally, with the volcanic ash,” Tom O’Shea from Gort, Co Galway, said. “ It’s a fantastic link, and we need to retain every link we can in the west.”
Síle McDonagh who was awaiting the arrival of friends from Belfast said university students studying in Britain depended on Aer Arann. “I think we’ve taken it for granted, to be honest,” she said.
She said college friends in Donegal had expressed particular concern about the airline’s future.
“At least in Galway, we have the new motorway and good train links now, but travel is very different in the northwest.”
