- More than 33,500 passengers flew between Dublin and Donegal in last 12 months
- 51,000 flew between Dublin and Kerry
- Aer Lingus Regional expects to fly over 86,000 passengers on Donegal and Kerry routes this year
Aer Lingus Regional is reporting that passenger numbers on its Dublin-Donegal and Dublin-Kerry routes have both jumped in the last year – by 52pc and 35p respectively.
The services to Donegal and Kerry are Public Service Obligation routes flown by Stobart Air on behalf of the Government. Stobart Air said that since it took over the Donegal route from Loganair in 2015, passenger numbers have increased significantly. In the last 12 months, it flew 33,516 passengers, up from 22,022 in 2014. It said 3,648 passengers flew the route last August, the busiest month of the year.
Stobart Air also grew the Kerry route by 35pc over the same time, from 37,800 passengers in 2014 to just over 51,000 between October 2016 and October 2017. With 5,724 passengers, July was the busiest month of the year for the route.
Graeme Buchanan, Stobart Air
This year, Stobart Air offers a double daily service on both Dublin-Donegal and Dublin-Kerry, with passenger numbers on track to fly over 86,000 this year across both routes.
Graeme Buchanan, Managing Director of Stobart Air, said: “For these rural regions, a link to the capital means more opportunities for work and business, and more ways to stay connected with friends and family. For tourists in search of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, short-haul flights to Donegal and Kerry provide an easy, hassle-free way to access to some of the country’s most scenic and unspoilt locations.”
According to the latest DAA figures, almost 8,000 passengers travelled on domestic routes last month through Dublin Airport, which was a 6pc increase over the same month last year.
