Stobart Air,
the airline which operated many of Aer Lingus’s regional flights within Ireland and to the UK
has ceased trading.
The carrier, part of the Esken Group which also owns part of the Eddie Stobart logistics business, terminated its
franchise agreement with Aer Lingus on Friday evening, and immediately grounded all flights as a result.
The airline was operating services on 12 routes for Aer Lingus: Dublin to Kerry, Donegal, Edinburgh, Manchester and Newquay, and Belfast City to Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Exeter and East Midlands
Esken has been in negotiations to sell Stobart Air and Carlisle Lake District Airport to Isle of Man-based Ettyl but the funding for the deal fell through.
In a statement, Esken said, "Since April 2020 Esken has taken all steps to minimise the cash requirement of Stobart Air while seeking to find a purchaser recognising the importance of the airline to connectivity between the UK & Ireland, the 480 jobs involved and the fact that a sale would be a better outcome for shareholders.
"The continuing impact of the pandemic which has resulted in almost no flying since April 2020 and the decision taken by Aer Lingus to award preferred bidder status to another party for the franchise agreement beyond its expiry in December 2022 significantly hampered the exhaustive steps taken to secure a future for the business and its staff."
It has now appointed a liquidator for the business.
Aer Lingus has since announced that its
mainline division will now operate
services on five of the affected routes: Dublin to Edinburgh and Manchester,
and Belfast City to Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.
The airline said in a statement, “All impacted customers are being contacted directly and offered details of an alternative flight where feasible...[and] also have the option of a full refund.”
BA City
Flyer, meanwhile, is launching services between Belfast City and Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford and Newquay using Embraer 190 jets.
Tom Stoddart, managing director of BA CityFlyer, said: "We’re delighted to announce these new services from Belfast, which will enhance our regional network and maintain vital connections between Northern Ireland and other key UK destinations."
Updated story on 17 June with BA route announcements