Tag: Stobart Air

Stobart Air announces two new routes from Cardiff to Dublin and Belfast

Stobart Air, operator of Aer Lingus Regional routes, has said that it has added two new routes to its network, connecting Wales with Ireland.

The new Cardiff (CWL) to Dublin Airport (DUB) route will initially operate three times weekly, on Monday, Friday, and Sunday, commencing on August 30. The new route from Cardiff to Belfast City Airport (BHD) will initially operate four times weekly on Monday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday commencing on June 28.

As air travel resumes within the Common Travel Area following the successful rollout of vaccination programmes across the UK and Ireland, Stobart Air has added these new routes to its Aer Lingus Regional network to provide additional choices for customers looking to travel for business and leisure.

Andy Jolly, Managing Director at Stobart Air, said: ‘Stobart Air calls on the Governments in the UK and Ireland to work with all industry stakeholders to restore confidence in aviation and facilitate the resumption of safe air travel in line with the vaccination rollout programmes. In the immediate term this includes developing a vaccine pass procedure to allow people who have received their complete vaccine course to unrestricted travel within the Common Travel Area.

‘Anticipating a successful Covid-19 vaccination rollout which will allow air travel to resume safely later this year, we are pleased to add these routes from Cardiff to Dublin and Belfast to our network. We believe these new connections will cater to both business and leisure travellers with direct, convenient and cost-effective flights between Cardiff and the two largest cities on the island of Ireland, Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, and Belfast in Northern Ireland.

‘We are committed to providing our passengers with frequent, convenient and affordable services through our regional connections. We look forward to welcoming our staff and customers onboard these new routes.’

Spencer Birns, CEO at Cardiff Airport said: ‘It’s fantastic news that Stobart Air will be operating scheduled services from Cardiff to Dublin and Belfast with their Aer Lingus franchise. As restrictions are eased, these flights will once again link Wales to two key destinations, allowing our customers to travel for business, leisure or to visit friends and family, as well as enabling easy connections to North America via Dublin.

‘Both routes have proved highly popular with our customers, and it is a top priority for us to focus on re-instating routes lost as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. We are pleased that once again our passengers will be able to easily fly to both Belfast and Dublin, and we look forward to working closely with the team at Stobart Air going forward.’

All Stobart Air flights will operate in accordance with Covid protocols implemented by the UK and Irish governments and health authorities.

Birmingham Airport announces Birmingham – Belfast City route from September 14

Birmingham Airport has announced the introduction of a service to Belfast City Airport from September 14, 2020.

Stobart Air, operator of Aer Lingus Regional, will operate up to four daily return flights from Birmingham Airport to Belfast City Airport with fares starting from £29.99 one way including taxes. Flights are on sale now at www.aerlingus.com.

Aer Lingus Regional operates four routes from Birmingham including Dublin, Cork, Shannon and now Belfast City. Stobart Air will also open a new base at Belfast City Airport, locating five ATR72-600 aircraft at the airport.

In line with the guidance from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stobart Air has implemented a number of enhanced health and safety measures to protect staff, crew and passengers. New measures include enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures for the aircraft cabin, which are in addition to the existing aircraft cleaning schedule. Each aircraft, including seats, armrests and tray tables will be subject to a daily disinfection process which provides surface protection from viruses for 24 hours.

Further, on board measures include mandatory face coverings or masks on all flights operated by Stobart Air for customers and cabin crew respectively, with the exception of small children and those who are unable to wear a face mask for medical reasons. In addition in-flight service will be suspended to reduce interaction between crew and passengers.

At the airport, Stobart Air has introduced new boarding and disembarkation procedures to reduce passenger interaction. Passengers will board and disembark the aircraft in small groups and according to seat row numbers. At the boarding gate, customers will scan their own boarding card and show their passport or ID to the staff member, making this process contactless.

Commenting on the announcement, Stobart Air Managing Director Andy Jolly said: ‘As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Stobart Air has been challenged and we have worked hard over the past number of months to protect our airline and to position us for the future, once restrictions ease and passenger demand increases.

‘Working with Belfast City Airport and Birmingham Airport, along with our partners, Aer Lingus we are pleased to establish a base at Belfast City to service flights to Birmingham.

‘We continuously strive to provide our passengers with frequent, convenient and affordable services. We look forward to welcoming our passengers on board this new route from Birmingham from 14 September.’

Tom Screen, Aviation Director for Birmingham Airport, said, ‘This is really fantastic news for Birmingham Airport and the Midlands region. Belfast City has always been a popular route due to the location of the airport and strength of business and leisure traffic between the two cities. After such a challenging year, we are delighted to receive the news that Stobart Air has chosen to expand its network into Birmingham, and we look forward to welcoming the fights starting in September.’