Aer Lingus cancels all Stobart Air regional flights
All Aer Lingus regional flights operated by Stobart Air have been cancelled with immediate effect after Stobart Air announced it has ceased operations.
Aer Lingus said the airline informed them last night it was terminating its franchise agreement with Aer Lingus and was in the process of appointing a liquidator.
Aer Lingus said it is now communicating to customers to advise them of their options for refund or rebooking.
Customers who were booked to travel on flights operated by Stobart Air are advised not to go to the airport and to check the Aer Lingus website for updated information on refund or rebooking options.
Among the first flights to be cancelled were the 9.10am from Dublin to Glasgow and the 12.25pm from Dublin to Kerry this afternoon.
All Stobart Air flights on the following routes are cancelled: 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.
In a statement this morning, Stobart Air referred to the continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which has resulted in almost no flying since March 2020.
"Last April, Stobart Air announced that a new owner had been identified. However, it has emerged that the funding to support this transaction is no longer in place and the new owner is now unable to conclude the transaction," the statement said.
"Given the continued impact of the pandemic which has virtually halted air travel since March 2019 and in the absence of any alternative purchasers or sources of funding, the Board of Stobart Air must take the necessary, unavoidable and difficult decision to seek to appoint a liquidator."
The company said all it s 480 staff have been informed of the decision.
Yesterday,
Aer Lingus also announced it has cancelled a number of flights to European destinations due to poor demand from customers.
The routes have been cancelled for the remainder of 2021.