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Derry - Dublin air
passengers top 26,000
23.07.08
MORE THAN 26,000
passengers used the daily service from City of Derry
Airport to Dublin last year, new figures show.
The figures were released today by the airport as it
welcomed Aer Arann on board as the new operator of
the the Public Service Obligation (PSO) route.
Aer Arann was awarded the new tender to operate the
heavily-subsidised service and now takes over from
Loganair.
Derry Mayor Cllr Gerard Diver said the service
proved "a vital local connection" to and from
Dublin.
"The arrival of Aer Arann and the continuation of
the service, offers an important opportunity to
increase business and tourism links," said Cllr
Diver. |
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Aer Arann commercial
director Fergal Barry, added: "The launch of Aer
Arann's City of Derry to Dublin service today is a
significant milestone for the North West and for Aer
Arann. We have significantly increased capacity and
reduced fares on the route."
But the arrival of Aer Arann has |
not been without
criticism from business flyers. Aer Arann will fly
out of Derry an hour later in the morning than
Loganair and business people say this will leave
them late for important meetings and deadlines.
Derry City Council and City of Derry Airport staff
will welcome Aer Arann on board at the official
launch of the service this morning.
Aer Arann operates over 600 flights per week across
40 routes in Ireland to Britain, France, the
Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. It carries more
than 1.25m passengers per year. The airline said it
looked forward to servicing the route and offered no
check in or baggage charges to customers. It
promised flights from Derry to Dublin from only £20
one-way including taxes.
For details visit
www.cityofderryairport.com or
www.AerArann.com
. To read a previous story about fliers' reactions
to the new timetable,
click here . |
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