Aer Lingus plans 15% cut in long-haul capacity

AER LINGUS, which reported a 10.4% rise in overall passenger numbers for May, compared with the same month last year, is to temporarily reduce a significant proportion of US-bound flights from Dublin and Shannon this winter, as a means of cutting costs.

The airline is planning a 15% cut in long-haul capacity between November and March. This reduction will result in a suspension of services on its Dublin-Los Angeles route for the entire winter and a reduction in frequency on its other routes to the US — between January and March — to allow for the refurbishment of three of its long-haul aircraft.

The company said that it has no further plans for long-haul route suspensions from either Dublin or Shannon, and that the Los Angeles decision stems from rising fuel costs, the weakness in the US dollar and generally slowing economies.