Marketing prize for high-flying Aer Arann

Aer Arann, which provides the Cork/Dublin air service, has been presented with the Sean F. Lemass Award by the Marketing Institute of Ireland.

The presentation took place at the Institute’s President’s Night at the King’s Inns in Dublin.

Aer Arann was chosen as this year’s recipient in recognition of the airline’s success and implementation of the marketing strategy it adopted.

The Sean F. Lemass award was initiated by the Marketing Institute in 1974 and is awarded to one Irish company a year for exceptional performance and excellence in the marketing arena.

Aer Arann currently operates more than 500 flights per week across 17 UK, six domestic and two French routes.

The airline now carries as many passengers in three months as it did for the entire year in 2001.

Padraig Ó Ceidigh, managing director of Aer Arann, said the award recognised a great team effort in the company.

He also paid a special tribute to “our very loyal passengers for their continued support.”

Making the presentation, John A. Murray, president of the Marketing Institute of Ireland, said: “Padraig has steered Aer Arann to most extraordinary success and created a major national and international brand in the process.

“He is an outstanding winner of this award and we congratulate him on his success.”

Aer Arann is one of the fastest-growing regional airlines in the world with a turnover in excess of €94m per annum and passenger numbers of just under one million for 2004 representing an increase of 62% on the previous year.

The company employs 350 staff and has experienced substantial growth over the past year with the launch of nine new routes as well as increases in flight frequency.

The recent addition of two ATR72 aircraft has brought its fleet total to ten.