With the enthusiastic response from returning passengers in the aviation sector, some airlines, such as Jetblue, performed very well in the last quarter. But this did not prevent passengers from being frustrated by the difficulties they encountered at airports, where the quality of service was not up to scratch.
Emerald Airlines’ ground-handling unit
Emerald, which obtained an Aer Lingus Regional franchise this year, now has a fleet of 14 ATR 72 aircraft, used mainly to connect Ireland with regional airports in Britain.
We have had a labour shortage this year, and many routes opened and resumed. The lack of employees has created a lot of chaos at the airports, with many cases of lost luggage and flight delays reported. Emerald Airlines decided to address these problems by hiring thirty-six employees for its new division to handle checked baggage and other tasks.
Mr. Connor McCarthy, EA Chief Executive, said in a statement, “We felt it would be better to start our ground-handling unit and take it into our own hands.”
McCarthy also stated that the issues that disrupted summer travel are less apparent, and Emerald Airlines (EA) would offer 1.5 million seats for sale next summer, operating under EI’s regional banner with 13 routes from Dublin Airport (DUB) and ten from Belfast City Airport (BHD). In the latter, it is currently the most significant carrier.
Emerald Airlines’ Partnership With Aer Lingus
Emerald Airlines has signed a ten-year franchise agreement with Aer Lingus, which will start on 1 January 2023 for the operation of Aer Lingus Regional flights.
The new franchise agreement between Aer Lingus and Emerald Airlines will support Aer Lingus’ Dublin hub strategy by providing connectivity from UK provincial airports to North America via Dublin. The deal includes connectivity between the island of Ireland and regional airports in the UK, Isle of Man, and Jersey, with options to extend the network to other regional airports.
Lynne Embleton, Chief Executive of Aer Lingus, said, “Aer Lingus’s strategic intent to develop Dublin Airport as a hub between Europe and the US, to deliver greater connectivity and aviation jobs, is significantly boosted by today’s announcement. This franchise agreement with Emerald Airlines marks a new chapter in Aer Lingus Regional services and brings choice and certainty to our customers flying between Ireland, the UK, and beyond. We look forward to partnering with Emerald Airlines and growing and developing Aer Lingus Regional over the coming years.”
At the Eurocontrol Conference this October, they discussed how labour shortages had impacted many aviation services, especially airports. The reduction of Carbon Emissions and the Europe Air Traffic reforms were also discussed. Mr McCarthy said the proposed Single European Sky initiative would cut emissions by at least 10 percent. Still, many member states oppose the measure, which Europe has discussed for 20 years.
With the festive season already in full swing. The decision made by Emerald Airlines to have its ground unit is a great relief to passengers at this time of year, and hopefully, more will be done.
What do you think of Emerald Airlines’ ground-handling division? Please leave us your comments below!
