A daily flight service between Dublin and Belfast has been cancelled just two months after being launched due to low demand.
Irish airline Aer Arann said today that the service will be “suspended” from next Monday, 25 August.
“The consistently low load factors experienced on the route necessitated the airline’s decision to suspend services,” it said in a statement this afternoon.
When the airline launched the service on 18 June, it was the first direct commercial flight between the two cities since 1995.
Padraig O’Ceidigh, managing director of Aer Arann, had forecast that the twice daily flights would carry over 40,000 passengers in the first 12 months. But the development of the motorway between Dublin and Belfast and the availability of eight train departures per day led to a low take up of the service.
Fares for flights started at E80, compared to as little as E32 for a day return trip by rail from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Central, or E46 for a five day or monthly return.
Aer Arann said that it will monitor market conditions over the coming months to assess whether a commercially viable service can be reinstated some time in the future.
By: andrew_airbus - 22nd August 2003 at 22:19
It shocks me to, but if people can get the train for a lot cheaper and it gets them into the centre of Dublin and all of the waiting about the airport and maybe delays. Then there is a new toll road opened which bypasses the traffic at Drogheda (THANK GOD CAUSE THE TRAFFIC WAS BAD!) which shaves about 45 mins of the time at least for a measly 1.50 Euros per car. Also when getting closer to the airprot there is a road which just takes you direct to the Car Parks and the terminal. I live in Lisburn which is near Belfast and I did the jouney in 2 hours for over 100 miles. Thats brill!
By: carl727uk - 22nd August 2003 at 21:21
To drive from Cork to Belfast would take an age. I once drove from Dublin to Kenmare in County Kerry, it took 6 hours and its about 150 miles ! I think domestic air services with the republic are quite well supported, but I would have thought a service between Dublin and Belfast woulh have proved popular.
By: Ren Frew - 22nd August 2003 at 20:00
Originally posted by martin_EGTK
There seems to be quite a few problems with low load factors on routes between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. JetMagic have very poor load figures on their Belfast City – Cork route apparently.
That also amazes me. Belfast-Dublin is about the only rail route of note that operates in Ireland. I’ve driven round most of the main routes of Eire and across country. It takes ages to get anywhere, there are very few roads you can consider to be ‘A’ class let alone motorway standard. So it always surprises me to hear about internal air connections struggling to find business, especially when they are relatively low cost.
By: martin_EGTK - 22nd August 2003 at 19:46
There seems to be quite a few problems with low load factors on routes between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. JetMagic have very poor load figures on their Belfast City – Cork route apparently.
By: Ren Frew - 22nd August 2003 at 19:09
Having driven that route many times, it just amazes me why an air route can’t find enough bums to put on seats ! :confused:
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August 22, 2003 at 6:49 pm