Aer Arann to create 50 jobs this year

AER Arann intends to employ 50 additional staff this year and double in size by 2015, the airline’s chief executive said yesterday.

Paul Schutz was speaking at Shannon Airport, where Aer Arann and Aer Lingus unveiled details of a new route to Edinburgh.

It is the fifth route out of Shannon announced under their franchise agreement since April and replaces a number that ended after Ryanair decided not to renew its five-year deal with the Shannon Airport Authority last year.

At a press briefing yesterday, Mr Schutz said the additional staff will bring the number employed at the airline to 370.

Last November, Aer Arann exited examinership with a new investor, the British-based transport logistics group, Stobart.

Mr Schutz described the examinership process as “very traumatic”.

“But we have come out of it and I believe that we have turned the corner.”

The company doesn’t publish its financial results, “but we are aiming for profitability in 2011”.

“We hope to double the size of the airline in terms of revenues, staff and routes by 2015,” he added.

In response to the Government cutting back on its Public Service Obligation routes between Dublin and the regional airports, Mr Schutz said: “Aer Arann is glad that the Government has brought clarity to the situation.”

Yesterday’s announcement will see Aer Arann operating services from Shannon through the franchise deal to Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, along with Edinburgh, from March 27.

Mr Schultz said that the service to Edinburgh, which will operate five times weekly, “improves the direct links between Scotland and Ireland for both business and leisure passengers”.

Mary Considine, a director of Shannon, said the airport is anticipating there will be “a slight increase” in passenger numbers in 2011 on last year.

“2010 was a very difficult year for aviation generally, but Shannon has turned the corner and after the first quarter of this year, we are anticipating a slight increase in passenger numbers for 2011.”

* All the franchise flights are sold and distributed through aerlingus.com.