9th December 2004, Aer Arann, Ireland’s premier regional airline, today announced that it has carried a record 400,000 passengers through Cork Airport since the start of 2004. This represents an increase of 57% on the previous year for the airline, which now operates over 125 flights per week across six routes including Dublin, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh and Southampton. The airline currently has 44 staff including flight crew and engineers, based at Cork Airport having established a crew and maintenance base there in July 2003.

Padraig O’Ceidigh, Managing Director of Aer Arann was in Cork to officially launch “Travel Manager” the airline’s new online corporate and travel agency booking system, which offers high-volume users the opportunity to make changes to bookings online and produce travel reports to review travel expenditure and past bookings. Since introducing the new product Aer Arann has registered 70 users generating revenue in excess of €100,000.

Speaking at the event Padraig, O’Ceidigh, Managing Director, Aer Arann said “I am delighted to be launching this new online system in Cork, which is a major hub for Aer Arann with over 40 employees and 25% of our fleet based here. Travel Manager provides increased functionality for our corporate and travel agency customers and will ensure a seamless booking process for our frequent flyers.”

He added “I would also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the team at Cork airport and our loyal passengers in the south west, who have shown tremendous levels of support to Aer Arann over the years. This year to date we have carried 400,000 passengers through the airport and we plan to continue that growth for the 2005 season by increasing our capacity by 25%. We are currently finalizing our summer schedule and will be announcing specific details in the coming weeks.”

During summer 2004, Aer Arann launched nine new services adding an additional 66-seater aircraft to its fleet to cater for the expansion. This brings the total fleet size to ten aircraft including five 48 seater ATR 42’s and five 66 seater ATR72’s. Aer Arann also recently received the ERA Bronze Airline of the Year Award for 2004 and is the only Irish airline to have won this prestigious prize.

Aer Arann teams up with 4Gifts to offer Christmas shopping online

7th December 2004, Aer Arann, Ireland’s leading regional airline has joined forces with Irish gifts company, 4gifts to offer passengers a convenient online and onboard gift ordering service in the run up to Christmas. Customers can choose from a huge selection of gifts including hampers, wine, flowers, books, chocolates and newborn gifts on aerarann.com or by browsing through an exclusive on-board brochure. Items range in price from €25.00 to over €700 and are deliverable worldwide.

4gifts was founded in 1988 and is now the largest gift mail order company in Ireland, delivering over 40,000 gifts worldwide last year. They are a key distributor of gifts for Bewleys, Avoca Handweavers and Newbridge Silverware.

Commenting on the partnership, Padraig O’Ceidigh, Managing Director, Aer Arann said, “We are delighted to be now offering this online and onboard gift service to our customers. Many of our passengers are extremely time conscious and this new service will allow them to quickly arrange gifts while booking online or relaxing onboard. We are confident that it will be a huge success.”

Lulu O’Sullivan, Managing Director, 4Gifts said “With our vast range of gifts from pamper kits to handmade chocolates, 4Gifts has something for everyone and is a convenient and hassle-free way to shop for Christmas. We are delighted to be teaming up with Aer Arann to offer this online and onboard service.”

Aer Arann customers can also book hotels, car hire and travel insurance online at aerarann.com, which receives up to 6,000 unique hits per day and now accounts for almost 60% of total Aer Arann sales.

For further information please contact: Jennifer Mooney
00353 53 26789
00353 87-8336450

Aer Arann gets Christmas off to a flying start for Our Lady’s Hospital

27th November 2004, Aer Arann, Ireland’s premier regional airline, pulled out all the stops this weekend when it flew children from Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children Crumlin on its annual trip to Santa’s Grotto in the North Pole at City of Derry Airport!

The 26 children aged between two and eleven years old enjoyed an afternoon packed with fun and entertainment at a truly magical Santa’s Grotto at the airport. Apart from the excitement of the plane ride, Santa was the biggest thrill of all with his sack full of presents for each child and his supply of sweets and other goodies. The entertainment also included balloon sculptures, face painting and a visit from some popular cartoon characters.

Commenting on the event, Micheal O’Callarain, Marketing Executive, Aer Arann said;
‘‘We are delighted to have arranged this event for the fourth year running for such a vital cause. We have a long association in fundraising for the hospital and it means a great deal to us to get involved in an annual event like this, which brings so much happiness and excitement into the lives of these children. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank City of Derry Airport, Pride & Joy Toyshop, Sainsbury’s, ExxonMobile Aviation, Sky Handling Partners, Dublin Airport Authority, Beaumex Ltd and Mars Ireland all of whom contributed to this trip’’.

Gerard O'Dwyer, Chief Executive at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children Crumlin, added; ‘‘I would like to thank Aer Arann for their continued support and effort in arranging this event and other fundraising activities to support the hospital. This event means so much to the children at Our Lady’s some who will be spending Christmas in hospital. This is a great example of the difference a company can make to sick children at Christmas time’’.

Aer Arann has raised over half million Euro in the past four years for Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children Crumlin. The airline also organises and sponsors an annual half marathon on the Island of Inis Mór and Padraig O’Ceidigh, MD, Aer Arann has run in the New York Marathon in aid of Our Lady’s.

Aer Arann scoops prestigious ERA Bronze Airline of the Year Award

October 1st; Aer Arann, Ireland's premier regional airline was awarded the prestigious Bronze Airline of the Year Award last night by the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) at an awards ceremony in Vienna during the the Associations Annual General Assembly.

Aer Arann was chosen from among 65 other contenders to win the coveted bronze award. The airline currently operates over 500 flights per week across 25 routes with passenger numbers increasing from 12,000 per annum in 2000 to a projected 1 million in 2004.

Commenting at the ceremony Padraig O'Ceidigh, Managing Director, Aer Arann said "This is a tremendous honour for Aer Arann. We have achieved phenomenal growth in the past five years and this award provides valuable recognition of the hard work and commitment of all our team. I would also like to pay a special tribute to our loyal passenger base for their continued support. We look forward to continuing to provide them with the high levels of service they have come to expect from one of Europe's best and fastest growing airlines".

The judging panel, consisting of senior aviation journalists from several European countries described Aer Arann as "an excellent niche carrier with links throughout the regions of Ireland, England and Scotland, bringing substantial social and economic benefits to these areas."

They went on to say that the airline's impressive growth was underpinned by good customer service and business strategy. "Aer Arann's particular strength lies in the ability to identify routes with latent demand providing critical access for business and tourism while also managing to reduce it's cost base during periods of significant growth."

Founded in 1980 ERA is the only body representing the interests of the regional air transport industry in Europe and represents over 230 companies, including 70 airlines carrying an average of 83 million passengers per year.

Aer Arann announces two routes to France

2nd June 2004, Aer Arann, Ireland’s premier regional airline, today announced that it will begin operating its first routes to France on the 23rd June 2004 with the launch of two new services from Waterford and Galway to Lorient in South Brittany.

The service will operate two days per week on Wednesdays and Saturdays and will be operated by an ATR42 aircraft. The airline projects that it will carry in excess of 2,500 passengers on each route during the summer months.

The Galway to Lorient service will operate via Waterford with a twenty-five minute stopover at Waterford Airport. The flight will depart Galway Airport at 6.25am on Wednesdays and Waterford Airport at 7.25am arriving in Lorient Airport at 9.55am. The return flight will depart Lorient Airport at 10.20am arriving in Waterford Airport at 10.55am and Galway Airport at 11.55am. The flight will depart Galway Airport at 8.00am on Saturdays and Waterford Airport at 9.05am arriving in Lorient Airport at 11.35am. The return flight will depart Lorient Airport at 12.05pm and arrive in Waterford Airport at 12.40pm and Galway Airport at 1.45pm. Fares on both routes will start from EUR89.99 one way including tax.

Commenting on the announcement Padraig O’Ceidigh, Managing Director Aer Arann said "we are delighted to be launching our first French routes to Brittany, which is the second biggest French destination for Irish passengers after Paris. We believe that there is considerable untapped demand from the regions to Brittany and we look forward to working with both airports to establish these services over the summer".

Aer Arann Wins Best Online Services Award

3rd June 2004, Aer Arann, Ireland’s premier regional airline was presented with the award for “Best Online Services” today by the Air Transport Users Council of the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland at an awards ceremony in the Stephens Green Hibernian Club. Guest of honor at the luncheon was Mr. Seamus Brennan T.D. the Minister for Transport.

Online bookings now account for 50% of Aer Arann sales with approximately 160,000 unique hits on the site per month. Passengers can also book travel insurance, hotels and Avis car hire online at specially discounted rates and following the introductions of a new state of the art reservation system ‘‘Openskies” in October 2003 Aer Arann now offers ticketless travel on all routes.

Commenting on the award Padraig O’Ceidigh, Managing Director, Aer Arann said “we were delighted to receive this award today from the Air Transport Users Council. The web has become a critical distribution channel for the airline industry and we have invested considerable effort in developing our online booking system in the past two years, so that it now accounts for 50% of sales. I believe we are now offering a first class online service and we see this award as an endorsement of that service.”

Aer Arann currently operates over 400 flights per week across six domestic and 17 UK routes. The airline is launching seven UK services for summer 2004 including Galway to Birmingham; Waterford and Kerry to Manchester; Donegal to Glasgow Prestwick; City of Derry to Birmingham and Manchester and Knock to Liverpool.

Aer Arann and Knock International Airport Announce New Knock Liverpool Service

13th May 2004, Aer Arann, Ireland’s premier regional airline, and Knock International Airport, Ireland’s fastest growing international airport, today announced the introduction of a new service from Knock to Liverpool effective from Monday, 21st June 2004.

The new service, which will operate Monday to Friday, will depart Knock International Airport at 1900 with a flight time of one hour and ten minutes arriving in Liverpool John Lennon Airport at 2010. The return flight will depart Liverpool John Lennon Airport at 2035 and arrive at Knock International Airport at 2150. Fares on the route will start from EUR39.99 one way including tax and the flight will be operated by a 48 seater ATR42 aircraft.

Commenting on the announcement, Padraig O’Ceidigh, Managing Director, Aer Arann said; ‘‘we are delighted to be announcing our first UK service from Knock International Airport. Aer Arann has enjoyed huge growth from Galway Airport in the past twelve months and we have been looking at opportunities for expansion from Knock International Airport for some time now. Liverpool is emerging as a premier UK destination with a rich and diverse heritage and we believe that there is considerable demand between the West of Ireland and this city in the Northwest of England. We look forward to growing the service with the team at Knock International Airport over the coming months.”

Liam Scollan, Chief Executive, Knock International Airport welcomed the announcement: “We are delighted that Aer Arann is expanding its service offering from Knock to Liverpool. We believe the historical links between Liverpool and the West of Ireland will be strengthened by the introduction of thisroute and we look forward to working with our colleagues in Aer Arann to make this route a success. Knock International Airport has enjoyed tremendous growth in passenger numbers in the last year and we have no doubt that today’s announcement will contribute to further growth in 2004.”

This is one of seven new services to be introduced by Aer Arann for summer 2004 including Galway Birmingham, Derry Manchester and Birmingham, Waterford and Kerry to Manchester and Donegal to Glasgow Prestwick. The airline also operates a daily service from Knock to Dublin.

Aer Arann Increases Frequency On Galway Luton and Waterford Luton Routes To Service Local Demand

Aer Arann, Ireland’s premier regional airline, is increasing frequency on its Galway and Waterford Luton services due to the huge demand and growth of the routes since their introduction. The airline will add a second daily flight between the cities commencing from June 7, 2004 and predicts it will carry an extra 24,000 passengers on each route during the first year of operation.

With fares from €39.99 each way including taxes, the second flight will depart Galway Airport at 1515 daily arriving in London Luton Airport at 1700. The return flight will depart London Luton Airport at 2125 arriving in Galway Airport at 2315. The second service to Waterford Airport will depart London Luton Airport at 1730 arriving at 1900. The return flight will depart Waterford Airport at 1925 arriving at 2055. Both flights will be operated by an ATR 72 66 seater aircraft and will operate one hour earlier on Saturdays.

Commenting on the announcement, Jennifer Mooney, Commercial Manager, Aer Arann said; ‘‘ We are delighted to be introducing an extra daily service on both of these routes. With load factors in excess of 75% on our daily flights, Luton is proving to be a very popular destination out of Galway and Waterford. We look forward to growing the extra services and providing greater choice and convenience for our customers as the summer approaches’’.

Aer Arann recently announced that it would begin operating a Galway Birmingham and Waterford Manchester service on 3rd May 2004

ARAN ISLANDS TAKE OFF WITH AER ARANN HALF MARATHON IN AID OF OUR LADY'S HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN

The fourth Aer Arann Half Marathon in aid of Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, took place at the weekend, April 3rd, 2004 on the Aran Islands. Over 160 people took part in the 13-mile run on Inis Mór, including over 30 staff from the airline.

The winner of the event was Martin Gillen in a time of one hour twenty four minutes. The event raised an estimated €100,000 for the hospital that will go towards providing vital equipment for facilities including the Cardiac Unit. Over the past three years, Aer Arann initiatives have generated over EUR400,000 for this cause.

Speaking at the half marathon Padraig O'Ceidigh, Managing Director, Aer Arann said, "I am thrilled that this has been such a success. Aer Arann has a long association in fundraising for the hospital and it means a great deal to us to organise an annual event like this, which benefits the children at Our Lady's Hospital. I hope the marathon will continue raising such important funds for the hospital."

Susan Ronan, Promotions Executive with Our Lady's Children's Hospital, commented, "Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin is delighted to benefit once again from this event. Proceeds from previous half marathons have gone towards the new Medical Services Centre, currently being built at Our Lady's. This Centre has an estimated cost of €10 million and will be totally funded from voluntary events like the Aer Arann Half Marathon."

The half marathon is the brainchild of Padraig O' Ceidigh. He has run in the New York Marathon on a number of occasions, including this year, in order to raise money for the Children's Hospital.

Aer Arann Announces New Routes From Derry to Manchester and Birmingham

Ireland’s premier regional airline has announced the introduction of two new services from City of Derry Airport to Manchester and Birmingham. Starting on the 21st June the new routes are projected to carry 18,000 passengers each during their first year of operation. The airline also recently announced two additional services to Manchester from Waterford and Kerry and a Birmingham to Galway service, which will start on 3rd May.

Both services will operate with fares from as low as £39.99 one way plus tax. The Manchester service will depart Manchester Airport at 0925 and City of Derry Airport at 1500 with a flight time of one hour twenty minutes. The Birmingham service will depart City of Derry Airport at 1115 and Birmingham at 1305 with a flight time of one hour twenty-five minutes. Both flights will be operated on a 48 seater ATR42 aircraft. These new routes will bring the airline’s total number of UK routes to sixteen, as well as providing six domestic routes serving the regional Irish airports.

Commenting on the announcement, Jennifer Mooney, Commercial Manager, Aer Arann said "following successful negotiations with City of Derry Airport and Air Route Development NI we are delighted to be announcing two new services from City of Derry Airport providing necessary air access into such a popular destinations as Manchester and Birmingham. We are confident that there will be substantial demand and uptake of both services in the departure and destination regions. Aer Arann has made significant progress in expanding our business in the UK market with the introduction of six new services since January 2004. We look forward to growing these new routes and introducing further new services in the near future".

The Airport Manager, Seamus Devine has welcomed the introduction of both services. He said: "I am delighted the airport has been successful in securing these important air links between the North West of Ireland and the UK. Manchester and Birmingham are significant UK hub cities and I believe it is vitally important that business visitors and tourists can avail of these important links".

He added that he was looking forward to working with Aer Arann in operating the Manchester and Birmingham routes and hoped to work with them in the future development of new routes from the City of Derry Airport.