Monday, 28 February 2022
On Saturday the first commercial flight operated by Ireland’s newest airline took place with Emerald Airlines flying the Donegal-Dublin route for the first time.
Commenting on the announcement, Conor McCarthy, CEO and Founder of Emerald Airlines, said: “Today marks a huge milestone in our journey to become Ireland’s largest regional airline. There has been a considerable amount of hard work behind the scenes in order to make this day a reality.’’
To mark the occasion, Conor McCarthy, CEO and Founder of Emerald Airlines was joined by Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton, and Steve Ó Cúláin, Chairman, and Eilís Docherty, Managing Director at Donegal Airport, attended a ribbon cutting ceremony at Donegal Airport.
Last month Emerald Airlines was selected as the new operator of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) air route between Donegal and Dublin, providing an essential air link between the North West and Dublin.
The airline will use a 72-seat ATR72-600 and will fly under Aer Lingus flight numbers and will be offering up to 4 flights daily linking Donegal and Dublin. In addition it will provide connections on the Aer Lingus network from Dublin. Not only will this be a huge boost for travel between Donegal and Dublin, but it will also re-establish vital tourism connections to Donegal on the wider Aer Lingus network.
"I would like to wish Emerald Airline's every success in operating and growing this route and providing the people and businesses in the North-West with daily air services to Dublin to attend medical and other important appointments as well as supporting the economy and tourism in the region," said Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton.
Located at Carrickfinn and renowned for its stunning scenery, Donegal Airport has been voted as the most scenic airport globally.
