Cork businessmen criticise Aer Lingus decision

Businessmen in Cork have criticised Aer Lingus's decision to stop operating flights between Cork and Dublin.

The airline said the decision to scrap its two daily return flights was taken because the route was continually making a loss. It said its flights between Cork and Dublin were on average less than 60% full.

However, Cork Chamber of Commerce has disputed these claims.

Chamber president Robin O'Sullivan said: "We haven't had a proper explanation or advance notice that this was the way Aer Lingus were thinking. If they had an economic and rational argument for the decision, let's hear it and let them be up front about it. To describe the service simply as a loss-making service in view of the load factor that we all see on it beggars belief."