Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Ireland: Fears for 180 jobs as Aer Arann suspends Galway Airport services



There are fears for 180 jobs in Galway following the decision by Aer Arann to suspend its services at Galway Airport for the winter season.

The routes affected include London Southend, Luton, Manchester, Edinburgh and Waterford. The decision takes effect from October 31.

The airline said passenger numbers at the airport had continued to decline and that it regretted the impact the decision will have on customers and staff.

Aer Arann says its 35 staff based at the airport will be offered the opportunity to move to other locations in Shannon, Cork , Dublin and Waterford.

Independent TD for Galway West Noel Grealish said the move puts 180 jobs at the airport in doubt.

He attempted to raise the issue during leaders questions in the Dáil this morning - but was ruled out of order by the Ceann Comhairle.

The routes affected by the suspension include London Southend, Luton, Manchester, Edinburgh and Waterford.

The decision will come into effect from 31 October.

Passengers booked on all routes will be offered a full refund, but passengers on the Manchester and Edinburgh routes will have a rebooking option, instead of a refund.

The rebooking option is for Aer Lingus Regional flights operated by Aer Arann from other airports.

Passengers booked on flights between Galway and Manchester will have the option to travel instead via Shannon, while passengers booked on flights between Galway and Edinburgh will have the option to travel instead via Shannon or Dublin.

Aer Arann said it made the choice due to a continuing fall in passenger numbers at the airport, and t regrets the impact the decision will have on customers and staff.

Paul Schütz, Aer Arann’s Chief Executive, said: “We sincerely regret having to make this decision and we particularly regret the impact that this will have on our customers, on our staff in Aer Arann Regional and on the staff of Galway Airport.

“The reality however is that we are not yet a year out of examinership and we are not in a position to continue to operate routes that are not commercially viable.”

The airline added that its 35 staff, who are based at the airport, will be offered the opportunity to move to other locations in Shannon, Cork, Dublin and Waterford.

A small number of redundancies may occur if some crew members are not in a position to relocate, but Aer Arann insisted its priority it to limit the number of redundancies where possible.

Speaking of the decision, Independent TD for Galway West, Noel Grealish, said the move places the 180 jobs at the airport in doubt.

It is understood he attempted to raise the issue during leaders questions in the Dáil this morning, but was ruled out of order by the Ceann Comhairle.


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