Aer Lingus has entered into a franchise
agreement with Emerald Airlines starting from 1 January 2023 for a period of
ten years for the operation of its flights between the island of Ireland and
regional airports in the UK, Isle of Man and Jersey. The deal follows the news in June that previous partner Stobart Air had ceased trading.
As part of the deal, Emerald Airlines
will operate ATR turboprop aircraft on the regional routes in Aer Lingus
branding and livery.
Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus chief executive,
said: “Aer Lingus’s strategic intent to develop Dublin Airport as a
hub between Europe and the US, to deliver greater connectivity and aviation
jobs, is significantly boosted by today’s announcement.”
Conor McCarthy, Emerald Airlines founder
and chief executive, said: “This is a major development for Irish aviation and
the wider tourism industry. The combined strengths of both airlines will allow
us to offer optimised connectivity from popular cities and routes across
Ireland, the UK and beyond.
“As
we add additional aircraft to our fleet we will be recruiting more than 400 new
staff members – a great boost for the industry which has been so badly impacted
by the pandemic.”
Following the collapse of Stobart Air, Aer
Lingus took over six routes until at least the end of March 2022. British Airways’ franchise, BA
CityFlyer, is also operating four additional routes for the rest of the summer
2021 period.