AER ARANN SIGNS FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH AER LINGUS - AGREEMENT SEES RETURN OF DONCASTER SHEFFIELD LINK TO DUBLIN

Aer Arann and Aer Lingus have today (26th January 2010) announced that agreement has been reached to establish a franchise arrangement between the two airlines.

Under this franchise agreement Aer Arann will operate 12 routes from Dublin and Cork. The routes will include current Aer Lingus and Aer Arann routes as well as 3 new routes.

One of the three new routes is Dublin to Doncaster Sheffield which will operate daily from March 28^th 2010.

These franchise services will be branded as “Aer Lingus Regional” and operated using Aer Arann ATR 72-500 aircraft and crew. All franchise flights including Doncaster Sheffield to Dublin are on sale from today on www.aerlingus.com.

Welcoming the new agreement Aer Lingus Chief Executive Mr. Christoph Mueller said:

“This franchise agreement is good news for all stakeholders in Aer Lingus as it will allow us to serve key regional destinations, linking them with our Dublin transatlantic network as well as offering our business and leisure customers improved schedule and frequency options.”

Aer Arann Chief Executive Mr. Paul Schütz also welcomed the agreement calling it an “a major development for Irish aviation and the tourism industry. The combined strengths of both airlines, including brand power and market presence, will allow us to offer a quality customer product that meets the capacity requirements of existing and new destinations including Doncaster Sheffield.

Aer Arann is a leading regional airline and in addition to operating routes for Aer Lingus Regional the airline will continue to operate under its own Aer Arann brand on routes within Ireland, from Ireland to the UK and France and from the Isle of Man to London and Paris.

Nick Smillie, Aviation Sales Director, said: “This is great news for the airport and for people living in Yorkshire, and the North Midlands.

“We have been working hard to bring back Dublin, which was one of our most popular routes from Doncaster Sheffield Airport and are delighted to be able to make this announcement today.

“This route will be able to open up transatlantic connections to our passengers via Dublin and is a huge step forward for us. This Aer Lingus Regional connection means that passengers travelling to the States will be able to travel on one through booking. They’ll be able to drop their baggage at Doncaster Sheffield without having to check it in again at Dublin for their onward connection, and importantly clear US Immigration in Dublin ahead of arriving in New York and Boston.

“We are focused on delivering services that our customers are asking for so that their journey does not have to involve a long drive across the Pennines or on congested motorway networks to reach their departure airport. Already voted Yorkshire’s Best Airport on customer satisfaction levels, we know this is where people in the region want to fly from!”

Today’s announcement has been warmly welcomed by the region’s tourism organisation Welcome to Yorkshire who are confident there is tremendous potential in attracting more Irish visits to the region.

Gary Verity, Chief Executive from Welcome to Yorkshire, said “These new routes are great news for the region, the airport and our local tourism businesses.

“Ireland is an increasingly important market for us; recent research shows that an increasing number of visitors from Ireland are choosing Yorkshire as their holiday destination so these new flights will mean they have more opportunities to spend more time in our county which is great news for Yorkshire.”

The news also comes as a major boost to the regions business community. In a 2008 business travel survey conducted by Doncaster Sheffield Airport, 43% of the top 100 businesses in the Sheffield City Region cited Dublin as an important market for them.

Daniel Fell, Head of Chamber at Doncaster Chamber said "The announcement of new flights from Robin Hood Airport to Dublin is a great boost to the local economy, particularly those businesses operating in the tourism sector.

"Dublin is one of the top destinations for local business travelers and the new daily flights will be incredibly popular.

"Business confidence in Doncaster is currently significantly ahead of regional and national trends; Robin Hood Airport remains the most significant development in Doncaster and South Yorkshire for decades, its continued growth and status as a key economic asset for the borough will help Doncaster stay ahead of the curve for years to come.

"It is now critical that the infrastructure necessary for the growth of the airport is delivered and, even more importantly, that businesses within the airport's catchment area make Robin Hood their airport of choice."