Irish carrier Aer Arann will cease all flights from Galway at the end of October, including routes to London Southend, London Luton, Manchester and Edinburgh.
The airline said that it had been working closely with Galway airport “to explore all commercial options”, but “despite the best endeavours of both airline and airport, bookings have continued to deteriorate and all routes are projected to be loss-making during the thinner winter season when bookings are historically lower”.
As a result all routes from Galway will cease from October 31, including the four UK routes detailed above, and flights to Waterford.
Affected passengers will be offered refunds, with those travelling between Galway and Manchester given the alternative option of travelling via Shannon, and those travelling between Galway and Edinburgh given the option of flying via Shannon or Dublin.
Aer Arann’s chief executive Paul Schütz said that “by suspending loss-making services for the winter season both Galway Airport and Aer Arann Regional are doing what is best for both businesses at this time and we can work together on the potential for a resumption of services in 2012”.
The carrier said it intends to work with Galway airport “with the intention that a strategy be put in place for the re-launch of services from Galway at the beginning of the summer season in April”, and added it has committed to working in conjunction with the airport “to examine the potential for a number of routes from Galway to the UK and France”.
For more information visit aerarann.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
