Aer Lingus must listen to its business customers
It is time for immediate political action from Micheál Martin (a fellow Corkman) to ensure that not only is this decision reversed but also to ensure that the national airline consults with the Cork Chamber of Commerce on its future strategy for Cork and the South-West.
As a London-based Cork person I look forward to the launch of JetMagic, the new airline on the Cork/London route, given the current hopeless service between Cork and London.
Flights are totally overpriced compared to Heathrow/Dublin (even internet fares), times are inflexible and premium slots are always overbooked. Now the latest lark is that they are taking off an aircraft in the winter months.
On the matter of punctuality, the airline blames Heathrow air traffic control for flight delays - now almost on a weekly basis. How is it that BMI never use the same frequent excuses on its Dublin/Heathrow route?
Read the statistics for Aer Lingus’s punctuality on Heathrow/Dublin and Heathrow/Cork and compare them to Ryanair over the last six months.
I suggest that the Government and Aer Lingus review their strategy for Cork. It staggers belief that US multinational executives in Cork (one of Europe’s key chemical industry centres) have to fly to London to catch connections for the US. Why doesn’t the second city with a population of 300,000 have a direct service to the west coast of America?
Aer Lingus, please stop the self-congratulations and start listening to your business customers. A few flights to Malaga hardly compensates for years of neglect and underdevelopment of the Cork route.
Gerry Cooper.
7, Cornwall Gardens,
London SW74BA
England.
