Aran Islands flight contract worth €4.9m awarded 

Direct services to three islands with 68,000 seats per year

The contract with Galway Aviation Services Limited, trading as Aer Arann Islands, runs until 2026. Picture: Dan MacCarthy

A new four-year contract worth €4.9m to provide air services to the Aran Islands has been awarded.

The public service obligation (PSO) contract will see more than 68,000 seats available each year. The contract with Galway Aviation Services Limited, trading as Aer Arann Islands, will run until 2026.

Along with serving Inis Mór, the contract ensures the provision of direct services from the mainland to the smaller islands of Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr.

The contract will also see the introduction of a flexible scheduling scheme to service events and festivals. ‘Ad hoc’ and ‘scheduled non-PSO’ flights will also be provided by the operator to meet any demand above the agreed PSO seating allocation.

The flights to the three islands will operate from Aerfort Chonamara, which the State purchased in 2019.

Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys said the contract gives certainly to the communities of Oileáin Árainn.

It ensures they can continue to avail of a year-round, reliable, and affordable air service to and from Aerfort Chonamara.

The minister said the new contract sends out a strong signal ahead of the summer tourist season.

"This contract ensures we will have regular, direct flights from Aerfort Chonamara, to the benefit of the residents of Oileáin Árainn and tourists alike," she said.

Aer Arann Islands was founded in 1970 to serve the three island communities with vital transportation services. The 2016 census showed the population across the three islands at 1,226.