Stobart PSO boost

A €13.8m investment has been announced by Stobart Air following the renewal of its contract to operate Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes from Dublin to Kerry and Donegal under the Aer Lingus Regional brand.

Stobart has operated the routes on behalf of the Irish government since 2015 and the renewed contract will run until 31 January 2022. The investment has been in a new aircraft with Nordic Aviation Capital and extending an existing lease with GE Capital Aviation Services.

The new aircraft, as yet unspecified, will operate the Donegal services while the airline will deploy its larger ATR72 aircraft on the Kerry route, increasing capacity by up to 50% in 2018.

Managing director Graeme Buchanan said: “Aer Lingus Regional’s track record on the Kerry and Donegal routes is strong, with passenger numbers growing by 53% to 33,000 for Donegal and by 35% to 51,000 for Kerry over the past two years."   The numbers are expected to grow significantly over the duration of the contract to a combined total approaching 100,000 passengers.

www.stobartair.com

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