Aer Arann
Encyclopedia
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
based in Dublin, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Aer Arann operates scheduled services from Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
to destinations in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, with a fleet of 18 aircraft. Aer Arann has expanded from a single aircraft to Ireland's third largest airline behind Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
and Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
. The airline has three bases under its own brand in Kerry
Kerry Airport
-Ground transportation:Kerry Airport is approximately from both Cork and Limerick. Iarnród Éireann's Farranfore railway station is located to the south with services to Killarney, Tralee, Cork and Dublin....
, Waterford
Waterford Airport
Waterford Airport , is south-east of Waterford. It is in Killowen near Waterford City serving the south-east of Ireland. The airport is operated by Waterford Regional Airport Plc. In 2009 112,000 passengers passed through the airport...
, and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man Airport
Isle of Man Airport , also known as Ronaldsway Airport and, in Manx, Purt Aer Vannin, is the main civilian airport on the Isle of Man. It is located in the south of the island at Ronaldsway near Castletown, southwest of Douglas, the island's capital. Along with the Isle of Man Sea Terminal, it is...
, as well as Connemara
Connemara Airport
-Accidents and incidents:*On 5 July 2007 a Cessna 208 crashed on approach to the airport due to rough weather conditions, killing two and injuring seven. The plane was a charter plane, and was returning from a day trip to Inis Meáin.-External links:...
which operates under the "Aer Arann Islands" brand. It also has bases in Cork, Dublin
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
, and Shannon
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
, but all operate under the Aer Lingus Regional
Aer Lingus Regional
Aer Lingus Regional is an Aer Lingus brand used for commuter and regional flights operated by Aer Arann on behalf of Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus Regional operates scheduled passenger services primarily from Ireland to the UK, France and the Channel Islands...
brand.
Aer Arann is owned by Everdeal Ltd, which is 95% owned by Pádraig Ó Céidigh, Aer Arann's Chairman, and 5% owned by the Stobart Group
Stobart Group
Stobart Group Ltd is a large British multimodal logistics company, with interests in Transport and Distribution, Estates, Infrastructure and Civils, Air and Biomass, through operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium...
, through 35 preference shares of €1 each acquired on 10 November 2010. Stobart Group has an option to increase its shareholding by a further 27.5% to 32.5%.
History
Aer Arann was established in 1970 to provide an island-hopping air service between GalwayGalway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
and the Aran Islands
Aran Islands
The Aran Islands or The Arans are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. They constitute the barony of Aran in County Galway, Ireland...
off the west coast of Ireland. Operations, using a single Britten-Norman Islander
Britten-Norman Islander
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in...
, began in August 1970. This service has since been moved to the less distant Connemara Airport
Connemara Airport
-Accidents and incidents:*On 5 July 2007 a Cessna 208 crashed on approach to the airport due to rough weather conditions, killing two and injuring seven. The plane was a charter plane, and was returning from a day trip to Inis Meáin.-External links:...
and operates as "Aer Arann Islands". As of 2010 it still uses Islander aircraft.
The turning point for the airline was in 1994 when Pádraig Ó Céidigh purchased the airline. Ó Céidigh began to expand the airline's routes and fleet, launching scheduled services in 1998. Also in 1998, the Irish government awarded the airline the Public service obligation
Public Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
(PSO) route between Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
and Dublin followed by the PSO route between Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
and Dublin.
In 2002, service to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
was introduced, followed by service to Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
and Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
in 2004.
In 2007, Aer Arann had a turnover of €100 million and passenger numbers in excess of 1.15 million.
In 2008, in recognition of the company's marketing achievements, the Head of Sales and Marketing, Colin Lewis was awarded the All Ireland Marketing Leader of the Year Award by the Marketing Institute of Ireland.
In 2008, Aer Arann entered into a franchise agreement with Nex Aviation
Nex Aviation
Nex Aviation was a charter airline, based in Galway, Ireland, which began operations on 1 July 2007, using two former Flightline BAe 146-200. The airline mainly flew from Waterford and Galway on behalf of the Irish regional operator, Aer Arann, during the Summer months.-Fleet:The Nex Aviation fleet...
and introduced service to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
and Faro
Faro, Portugal
Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...
, using British Aerospace 146 aircraft during the summer months. The Amsterdam service, which was operated by an ATR 72-500, ended on 14 January 2009.
In October 2008, the airline announced that it would be implementing a cost-saving programme, due to the downturn in passenger traffic, which would involve some focus on charter flights and leasing of aircraft and their crews to other airlines. The airline stated that up to 100 redundancies would be needed, but this was later revised to 70 which would represent a 20% reduction of staff. The airline's key routes were to remain unchanged.
In January 2010, Aer Arann and Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
founded Aer Lingus Regional
Aer Lingus Regional
Aer Lingus Regional is an Aer Lingus brand used for commuter and regional flights operated by Aer Arann on behalf of Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus Regional operates scheduled passenger services primarily from Ireland to the UK, France and the Channel Islands...
which effectively removed Aer Arann's hubs at Cork and Dublin under the new airline.
On 26 August 2010 an examiner
Examinership
Examinership is a process in Irish law whereby the protection of the Court is obtained to assist the survival of a company. It allows a company to restructure with the approval of the High Court....
was appointed to Aer Arann. A full hearing of the company’s application took place on 8 September and in the meantime Aer Arann is in interim examinership
Examinership
Examinership is a process in Irish law whereby the protection of the Court is obtained to assist the survival of a company. It allows a company to restructure with the approval of the High Court....
and under the protection of the Court. All Aer Arann flights will continue to operate normally including all Aer Lingus Regional
Aer Lingus Regional
Aer Lingus Regional is an Aer Lingus brand used for commuter and regional flights operated by Aer Arann on behalf of Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus Regional operates scheduled passenger services primarily from Ireland to the UK, France and the Channel Islands...
flights. It was understood by the high court in Dublin that Aer Arann would return to profitability in 2011.
In October 2010, British logistics company Stobart Group
Stobart Group
Stobart Group Ltd is a large British multimodal logistics company, with interests in Transport and Distribution, Estates, Infrastructure and Civils, Air and Biomass, through operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium...
was named as the preferred buyer for the airline, also announcing that the airline would serve London Southend Airport
London Southend Airport
London Southend Airport or Southend Airport is a regional airport in the district of Rochford within Essex, England.During the 1960s, Southend was the third-busiest airport in the United Kingdom. It remained London's third-busiest airport in terms of passengers handled until the end of the 1970s,...
from March 2011 to destinations in Ireland and possibly France and open a base there.
On 10 November 2010, the deal was completed. Aer Arann is now owned by Everdeal Ltd, which is 95% owned by Pádraig Ó Céidigh, Aer Arann's Chairman, and 5% owned by the Stobart Group
Stobart Group
Stobart Group Ltd is a large British multimodal logistics company, with interests in Transport and Distribution, Estates, Infrastructure and Civils, Air and Biomass, through operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium...
, through 35 preference shares of €1 each. Stobart Group has an option to increase its shareholding by a further 27.5% to 32.5%.
In October 2011, Aer Arann announced it would suspend all services from Galway Airport.
Aer Lingus Alliance
In February 2010 Aer Lingus announced that the carrier was entering into a joint venture with Aer Arann to start a new subsidiary airline, Aer Lingus RegionalAer Lingus Regional
Aer Lingus Regional is an Aer Lingus brand used for commuter and regional flights operated by Aer Arann on behalf of Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus Regional operates scheduled passenger services primarily from Ireland to the UK, France and the Channel Islands...
, which would be operated by Aer Arann with a portion of the profits going to Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus took no equity stake in Aer Arann but the deal involved Aer Lingus bulk-buying seats on Aer Arann services. The move allowed Aer Lingus to expand its operations without the need for additional aircraft plus serve airports that cannot handle the Aer Lingus fleet. The agreement covers all former Aer Arann flights from Cork as well as new and existing Aer Lingus flights from Dublin including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Doncaster. Inaugural services began on 28 March 2010.
Fleet
The Aer Arann fleet consists of the following aircraft (at August 2011):| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42-300 | 4 | 0 | 48/50 | |
| ATR 72-201/212 ATR 72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology... |
5 | 0 | 66/70 | 3 operated for Aer Lingus Regional Aer Lingus Regional Aer Lingus Regional is an Aer Lingus brand used for commuter and regional flights operated by Aer Arann on behalf of Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus Regional operates scheduled passenger services primarily from Ireland to the UK, France and the Channel Islands... |
| ATR 72-500 | 4 | 0 | 72 | 4 operated for Aer Lingus Regional Aer Lingus Regional Aer Lingus Regional is an Aer Lingus brand used for commuter and regional flights operated by Aer Arann on behalf of Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus Regional operates scheduled passenger services primarily from Ireland to the UK, France and the Channel Islands... |
| Britten-Norman Islander Britten-Norman Islander The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in... |
3 | 0 | 9 | Operate for sister company Aer Arann Islands |
| Dornier 328 Dornier 328 |-See also:- References :* Swanborough, Gordon. "Dornier 328: A Daimler for Commuters". Air International, March 1992, Vol. 42 No. 3. pp. 123–128. ISSN 0306-5634.... |
1 | 0 | 33 | Leased from ScotAirways ScotAirways Suckling Airways is an airline that focuses on ACMI work and ad hoc corporate charters for business and sporting organisations... |
| Total | 17 | 0 |
The Aer Arann fleet, excluding leased aircraft, has an average fleet age of 15.5 years (at August 2011):
Former fleet
Aer Arann operated the following aircraft types (in alphabetical order):- BAe 146-200 - wet leased from Nex AviationNex AviationNex Aviation was a charter airline, based in Galway, Ireland, which began operations on 1 July 2007, using two former Flightline BAe 146-200. The airline mainly flew from Waterford and Galway on behalf of the Irish regional operator, Aer Arann, during the Summer months.-Fleet:The Nex Aviation fleet...
and CityjetCityjetCityJet Limited is an Irish regional airline headquartered in the Swords Business Campus in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. It operates at London City Airport, and flies franchise services on behalf of its parent company Air France from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Since the take over of VLM...
in summer 2008 - Fokker 50
- Piper PA-31 NavajoPiper PA-31 NavajoThe Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
- Saab 340Saab 340The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
- one aircraft leased from March 2010 - Short 360 - 1998-2001
Silver Club
Silver Club is the travel rewards program of Aer Arann. Unlike traditional Frequent-flyer programes, there are no points or kilometres to earn, and is an invitation-only programme. Benefits of Silver Club include airport loungeAirport lounge
An airport lounge is a lounge owned by a particular airline . Many offer private meeting rooms, phone, fax, wireless and Internet access and other business services, along with provisions to enhance comfort such as free drinks and snacks...
access in Dublin, no change fees, an increase in baggage allowance to 25 kilograms (55.1 lb), preferred seat selection and a dedicated free-phone number.
In flight services
Aer Arann has a buy on boardBuy on board
In commercial flight, buy on board is a system where food or beverages are paid for on board; often food or beverages are not included in the ticket price for certain fare classes....
programme offering sandwiches, crisps, confectionery as well as alcoholic, non-alcoholic and hot drinks for purchase.They also do a Duty free Buy on Board service.
Sponsorship deals
Aer Arann was the main shirt sponsor of the Galway Gaelic FootballGalway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
team, and has their logo on the back of the Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Connacht that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 comprising teams from the Celtic nations plus Italy. Normally, it also competes in the second-tier pan-European club competition, the European Challenge Cup...
team shirts, as well as sponsoring the Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
team.
On 17 December 2010, Aer Arann announced that it would be ending its sponsorship of the Galway Gaelic Football team.
See also
- List of airlines
- Transport in IrelandTransport in IrelandMost of the transport system in Ireland is in public hands, either side of the Irish border. The Irish road network has evolved separately in the two jurisdictions Ireland is divided up into, while the Irish rail network was mostly created prior to the partition of Ireland.In the Republic of...