CityJet prepared to stay in mid-west and battle for travellers

AER LINGUS should prepare itself for a fight to reclaim its status in the mid-west as the business- traveller’s airline after it abandoned the region in 2007.

CityJet, which moved into Shannon when Aer Lingus retreated, said it is prepared to stay in the mid-west and battle for international travellers.

This call came yesterday after Aer Lingus announced it was restoring its Shannon/Heathrow service in March after pulling it last year.

The Dublin-based subsidiary of Air France has spent the past year investing in the route and said it is confident the business focused service it developed will trump the returning Heathrow option.

“We have confidence that we will be able to grow the service that is offered to the business community in the mid-west,” said its spokesman David Curtin.

He said it offered an “optimum” service that allowed people to connect to 600 international destinations through Paris Charles de Gaulle.

The main gripe from the business community when Aer Lingus withdrew was the lack of connectivity to an international hub. This was the market CityJet sought out.

CityJet said the imminent battle for this market will not be decided by cost, it does not pursue a no-frills model, but that its flights are more convenient for business commuters.

Aer Lingus insisted talks on the return of the route have been continuing for months and had nothing to do with the takeover bid it received from Ryanair.

It said it is in a position to commit to the flights because of recently agreed cost-saving measures, a new deal with Shannon Airport Authority and the drop in the price of oil.

“This has nothing to do with the Ryanair bid, it was happening anyway,” said Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion.

He said its new service from Belfast to Heathrow will not suffer as a result as it is increasing frequency on its Dublin/Gatwick, route which would free up slots at Heathrow.

There will be no new jobs as a result of the restoration of the route.

Shannon Airport welcomed the move, saying it will result in increased traffic through the airport and it looks forward to other short-haul opportunities that may arise.

Aer Lingus will move its late morning landing slot in Heathrow (10.15am) to Shannon instead of the earlier flight from Belfast.

This 9.15am slot given to Belfast was the one originally operated from the mid-west.

Given the need to transfer terminals in London this will hinder Shannon-Heathrow travellers connecting to international flights on the same morning. However, for American-bound passengers it will mean not having to fly an extra hour in the wrong direction to transfer in Paris.