This article is from page 2 of the 2013-04-30 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
FIFTY-FIVE years after its first transatlantic flight from Shannon, Aer Lingus is on the cusp of resuming a year-round transatlantic operation from Clare’s international airport.
Aer Lingus sources have confirmed that the restoration of the permanent 12-month a year service from Shannon to both New York and Boston could be facilitated by the use of smaller, more fuel efficient aircraft on the transatlantic fleet from next winter.
The move comes just under three years after the national airline announced its first suspension of services to Boston and New York from Shannon – the first 11-week break from taking place from January to March 2011, which was repeated in both 2012 and 2013.
The decision to suspend services to Boston and New York during the off-peak winter months was made on the back of heavy losses on the two routes stretching back over 15 years.
“Both these routes have incurred significant losses during the winter months in 14 of the past 15 years. Since 1995, Aer Lingus has lost a total of € 163m on its transatlantic flights from Shannon during the winter months, with an average operating loss per winter season of almost € 11m,” said Aer Lingus chief executive Christoph Mueller.
“In addition, the airline has sustained declining load factors on these routes for a number of years. Aer Lingus is committed to the Shannon market as an important part of our network. However, in order to maintain the viability of our Shannon transatlantic operations throughout the remainder the year, the three-month suspension of these routes when seasonal demand is at its lowest is crucial,” he added.
However, three years on it’s hoped that the year-round service will be resumed through the use of the smaller and more viable Boeing 757 aircraft on the route.
Aer Lingus has completed a deal to lease three Boeing 757 jets to operate North Atlantic services starting in early 2014. It’s understood the aircraft will be leased from Dublin based air contractors.