Blow for airport as Aer Lingus axes flights

AER LINGUS dropped a business bombshell in Cork last evening by confirming the 40-year link with Dublin is to be axed in October, with a consequential loss of 250,000 seats.

In another move, from September 15 for six weeks, the service to London Heathrow out of Cork will be curtailed by one flight because one aircraft will be withdrawn from service for repairs.

Aer Lingus operates three flights from Monday to Saturday during the summer and two in the winter, with one on Sunday. They have a ticketing arrangement with Aer Arann and the logical outcome is that the privately owned airline will fill the huge gap the national carrier will leave, but that has not been confirmed.

The major announcement comes at a time when the airport is about to break its own target of two million passengers for this year by at least 100,000.

Cork International Airport director Joe O'Connor said it was a disappointing and worrying move by the national airline and, as far as the airport was concerned, a very negative one.

"I am worried that a prestigious and quality carrier like Aer Lingus should arrive at such a decision, especially at a time when the airport has embarked on a major expansion programme," Mr O'Connor said.

Last month Taoiseach Bertie Ahern officially turned the sod on the €140 million development plan, which will eventually see the airport catering for three million passengers annually.

A spokesman for the airline said the decision was taken because the route was considered a "loss-maker," but that there would be no job losses.

It will continue its services out of Cork to London Heathrow, Paris, Amsterdam and Malaga and would be investigating other routes abroad.

However, SIPTU branch secretary John Pearson, who represents about 90 Aer Lingus workers at the airport, said the union would be seeking an urgent meeting with the company to discuss the situation.

Cork Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Geary said that while it was regrettable that Aer Lingus was pulling out of the route, Aer Arann could increase the frequency of the service between the two cities.