CORK AIRPORT Authority last night expressed disappointment that Aer Arann is to suspend its scheduled flights from Cork to Dublin and Belfast as part of a restructuring of its fleet.
The service, which operates an outward and return flight six times a week from Cork to Dublin and Belfast, will be suspended with effect from August 31st.
The company said the reason for this is that it is returning a 48-seat aircraft at the end of a lease agreement, leading to a reduction of one craft in its fleet.
Aer Arann’s director of corporate affairs, Andrew Kelly, said the company regretted having to suspend the service and that the loss of aircraft had had a “regrettable impact on our schedule”.
However, aviation sources have told The Irish Timesthat Aer Arann was experiencing intense competition from Ryanair on the Cork-Dublin route. "Aer Arann started the Dublin route back in 2002 and was doing very well with 11 outward and return flights a day, but Ryanair launched a service in 2005," the source said.
“That resulted in splitting the flight numbers to five each – both outward and return – but Aer Arann had since reduced to one a day, and Ryanair also cut their flights out of Cork.
According to the source, Ryanair has been “crucifying” Aer Arann on the route in recent times, but this was rejected by Mr Kelly, who said passenger numbers on the route were good.
Mr Kelly pointed out that Aer Arann uses a 48-seater plane on the route, which flies Dublin-Cork-Belfast-Cork-Dublin, with the plane being based in Dublin.
He said the numbers on the Cork-Dublin route as a stand-alone didn’t justify the service, but the numbers on Cork-Belfast were good and, when combined, justified the route.
However, the passenger numbers were only justified in relation to a 48-seat aircraft, and the company’s long-term aim was to acquire larger aircraft to help reduce its cost per seat.
It wouldn’t be viable for the company to put a new 72-seat aircraft on the route, so it had taken the decision to suspend the service, but it would review this regularly, said Mr Kelly.
The decision by Aer Arann means Ryanair is now the only operator providing a Cork-Dublin service, as Aer Lingus withdrew from the route in 2003.
Aer Arann agreed ticketing arrangements with Aer Lingus following Aer Lingus’s withdrawal, and the Cork-Dublin service fed into Aer Lingus’s transatlantic flights from Dublin. Cork airport aviation marketing manager, Kevin Cullinane, expressed concern about the decision’s impact on Cork’s connectivity.
“Aer Arann and their tie-up with Aer Lingus on Aer Lingus regional services has been the catalyst for more frequencies, capacity and lower fares out of Cork airport in recent years.”
However, Mr Kelly said that Aer Arann remained committed to Cork airport and pointed out that it had recently announced it would be operating two new services for Aer Lingus from Cork.
The introduction of Aer Lingus regional flights from Cork to Manchester and Birmingham, operated by Aer Arann, would mean the company would base a second 72-seat aircraft at Cork.
“We intend to develop our fleet with an emphasis on reducing the cost per seat so that we can offer lower fares and better value to our customers in the longer term,” said Mr Kelly. The company would continue to look at opportunities for new services from Cork as its fleet expands, and will review the potential to restart services on the Dublin and Belfast routes.
