Aer Arann Suspends Flights from Cork to Belfast and Dublin

Aer Arann has announced that they will be suspending their services from Cork Airport to Belfast and Dublin. This suspension is due to start from August 31, and passengers who have bookings for after that date will be contacted by the carrier and given a full refund.

The airline currently operates 1 return service 6 days a week between Cork and both destinations. These routes are also served by the same aircraft, which is based in Dublin, and the suspension comes because that single aircraft will be returned at the end of its leasing period. This ATR-42, which has 48 passenger seats, is one of the longest serving planes in the carrier’s fleet. Its departure means that the airline will be dealing with a temporary reduction in the size of their overall fleet.

Andrew Kelly, the director of corporate affairs for Aer Arann, said that they regret the suspension of these services and the inconvenience it will cause for their loyal customers. However, it is unfortunate that the aircraft will be leaving the fleet, which will obviously have an impact on their schedule, he continued. They intend to develop their fleet, focusing on cutting the cost per seat so they can offer cheaper prices and more value for consumers over the long-term, he added, and as part of that, they will continue searching for opportunities to add new and more flights from Cork Airport and restarting the Belfast and Dublin services.

Despite this suspension, Aer Arann is staying committed to their other services at Cork Airport. Only 3 weeks ago the airline announced that they will operate added Aer Lingus Regional flights from Cork to Birmingham and Manchester. This news means that the carrier will base another ATR-72 plane, which has 72 seats, at their Cork hub when the winter season begins at the end of October.