The Irish airline airline Aer Arann, an offshoot of Aer Aran Islands has plans to lay off up to 100 staff in a cost-cutting measure. It is not known whether the tax-payer subsidised service to Inis Mor, Inis meain and Inis Oirr will be affected by the cuts.
The airline has started negotiations with staff in a bid to secure the future of the company, which is suffering the effects of the global slowdown in the aviation industry.
Aer Arann wants to drop its aircraft numbers from 12 to nine, but says it will not cut key routes.
The airline says it will now focus on leasing aircraft, and staff, to other airlines, in a bid to maximise profits and minimise costs.
Passenger numbers have grown from 12,000, when it was set up in 1970, to 1.1m in 2006. It was originally established as an island-hopping service between Galway and the Aran Islands.
Padraig O Ceidigh purchased the airline in 1994 and began expanding routes and fleet, launching scheduled services in 1998. In the same year the government awarded the airline a route between Donegal and Dublin, followed by the Sligo/Dublin route soon after.
It was due to launch a new Cork-Glasgow route at the end of the month.
- Siobhan Cronin
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