Aer Lingus close to replacing carrier after Stobart Air closes

DUBLIN, Ireland: Aer Lingus cancelled 12 regional routes with Stobart Air on Friday night.

The cancellations will take effect immediately.

According to officials, Aer Lingus was notified by Stobart Air late Friday evening that it was terminating its franchise agreement. It was also working to appoint a liquidator.

While Aer Lingus did not immediately know how many passengers would be effected by the termination of the air services, it said it would assist customers with re-bookings and refunds.

In an announcement, Aer Lingus advised customers booked on flights operated by Stobart Air to avoid going to the airport.

Among the flights cancelled were the 9:10 flight from Dublin to Glasgow on Saturday morning and the 12:25 flight from Dublin to Kerry on Saturday afternoon.

Other Stobart Air flights no longer operating include Dublin/Kerry; Dublin/Donegal; Dublin/Glasgow; Dublin/Edinburgh; Dublin/Manchester; Dublin/Newquay; Belfast City/Manchester; Belfast City/Birmingham; Belfast City/Edinburgh; Belfast City/Leeds Bradford, Belfast City/Exeter; Belfast City/East Midlands.

Stobart Air apologized to customers for cancelling flights on short notice, in a statement issued on Friday night.

The company also acknowledged the "significant contribution, loyalty, and dedication" of its 480 staff.

"This unavoidable and difficult decision means that all Aer Lingus Regional routes, currently operated by Stobart Air under its franchise agreement with Aer Lingus, have been cancelled," Stobart Air said in a statement.

In ending its air service, Stobart Air noted the financial losses suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting that its weekly operating schedule had been reduced by 94 percent since March 2020.

Meanwhile, Aer Lingus has been in discussions with Emerald Airlines to take over the Stobart Air routes. A final agreement is expected to be signed soon.