Irish Examiner view: Crisis in aviation business

Stobart Air informed Aer Lingus on Friday night it was terminating its franchise agreement and was in the process of appointing a liquidator.  Picture: David Creedon / Anzenberger

Aer Lingus was quick to announce a replacement schedule following the collapse of Stobart Air, but the Government must now act equally quickly to minimise the damage caused by the loss of the regional aviation operator.

Some 480 jobs will go — another blow to a sector that has faced impossible challenges during the pandemic. 

It comes just a month after Aer Lingus announced it would close its Shannon cabin crew base and temporarily lay off Cork crew.

Pádraig Ó Céidigh, Aer Arann founder and aviation recovery taskforce member, said he believed the Irish aviation industry had been the hardest hit of any country in the pandemic, pushing it back 30 or 40 years. 

He predicts that there will be fewer flights and higher airfares in the future.

The aviation sector had already warned the Government of crippling losses of over 70%, while pilots took the unusual measure of protesting in Dublin last month.

Views might be divided on adopting rapid antigen testing to facilitate a return to travel, but there is little disagreement about the need to maintain regional connectivity in Ireland.

It will be difficult to find a carrier to take up the subsidised routes to Kerry and Donegal, services that are vital to those respective regions. 

Yesterday, foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said regional connectivity was part of Government policy and said they would work hard to find replacement services. 

Those services can’t come soon enough.