AIRLINES: The decision to award two regional air contracts to the Waterford-based Euroceltic Airways was greeted yesterday as a major boost for the Waterford Regional Airport.
An additional 25 jobs are to be created at the airport, where Euroceltic intends to carry out its maintenance operations. It currently operates daily services from the airport to London Luton.
The airline was awarded public service obligation (PSO) contracts by the Department of Transport this week worth €15 million, to operate daily return flights on the Dublin-Donegal and Dublin-Sligo routes for the next three years.
Aer Arann will operate the other three PSO routes, linking Dublin with Kerry, Galway and Knock. PSO subsidies are allowed by the EU as aids to regional development. Euroceltic is to acquire four Fokker 50 aircraft to service its two routes and will begin recruiting flight and cabin crews immediately. Its "red eye" - early morning and late evening - services begin on July 22nd.
Mr Noel Hanley, who took over Euroceltic five months ago, said securing the contracts was a major step forward for the airline. "It will actually boost the size of the company by about 200 per cent in the short term."
