17/07/2008

Cityjet Drops Planned Dublin-Knock Route

Irish airline Cityjet has dropped plans to begin flights from Knock Airport to Dublin from next week.

The Dublin based airline had won the contract to operate the subsidised Public Service Obligation (PSO) route for three years from July 22.

The service is currently being provided by Aer Arann.

Today, Cityjet confirmed that it would not be taking up the route "due to increased fuel costs and logistical issues".

It is understood that the logistical issues related to Cityjet's delayed takeover of VLM, which would have given the airline the small planes it wanted for the Dublin-Knock route.

Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said that his airline had written to the Department of Transport expressing an interest in taking over the PSO route between Knock and Dublin.

Mr O'Leary also told the Oireacthas Transport Committee yesterday that most of Ireland's regional airports have "no future".

"There is no future for Donegal, there is no future for Galway, there is no future for Waterford, there is no future for Sligo, and Knock is pretty flaky as well," he said.

Mr O'Leary said that Ireland is simply "over-airported" and he added that "most regional airports would not survive without state-sponsored routes into Dublin".

Cityjet, which won the European Regional Airline Association (ERA) Airline of the Year 2007/8 Bronze Award, employs 618 staff and projects passenger figures in excess of two million this year.

(DS/JM)

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