Aer Lingus to begin extra flight to London
Aer Lingus is still on course to grow its services at Belfast International Airport, the airline's commercial director said yesterday.
Enda Corneille gave the assurance just days after the Irish airline reported a loss for 2009 of 66.2m euros (60m).
The loss came as its fares fell by almost 17 per cent, with long haul fares falling most sharply, although passengers numbers rose by 3.8 per cent to 10.4 million.
The figures were released in a short trading update one day after the company said it would delay its complete full-year results.
That move came after its cabin crew rejected a cost-cutting proposal.
Unions representing pilots, middle management, maintenance staff and some ground staff and cabin crew had accepted the proposals, which would mean a cut of some 20 per cent in staff levels.
The company will now have to make a greater provision for those blocked cost-cutting measures, which it had hoped would save it 97m euros in annual operating costs. The airline said it would release its full results "in due course".
Mr Corneille confirmed that Aer Lingus, which flies to a range of European destinations from Belfast International, will start an additional flight from Belfast to London Heathrow at the end of the month. This will take the airline’s number of daily flights between both cities to four each way.
In addition at the end of the month, Aer Lingus and United Airlines are launching a unique extension of their relationship on select long haul services between Europe and North America.
Under terms of the extended codeshare agreement - made possible by the Open Skies Air Services Agreement between the European Union and the United States - the two carriers will offer a daily service between Washington-Dulles and Madrid.
“We have taken on 30 new cabin crew in Washington for this operation and we are using cabin crew from Belfast to train them - such is the high calibre of our staff in Belfast,’’ said Mr Corneille.
“The majority of the business will be from the US, with hubbing over Washington and into Madrid. Aer Lingus will operate the aircraft and supply the crew while United Airlines will sell the seats.
“This is the first time in Open Skies that this has ever been done where two airlines get together and fly between points beyond their home base.’’
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
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Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
