Aran air service protest takes flight with Galway meeting

Aer Arann Islands is set to seek a High Court injunction against the decision to award an air service contract for the three Galway islands to a helicopter operator.

The decision by Gaeltacht Minister Joe McHugh to award the Public Service Obligation (PSO) contract to Executive Helicopters in a cost-cutting move has met with massive opposition from people living and working on the three islands.

An estimated 700 people attended a protest in Furbo on Tuesday – where the Minister met with local elected representatives – calling on the Minister to re-tender for the service from Conamara Airport and to exclude a helicopter service.

Islanders believe a helicopter service would be unreliable because of the West of Ireland weather, and in the event of cancelled flights, they would have to travel 52km from Galway Airport through city traffic to the ferry port in Ros a’ Mhíl.

Their existing journey from Conamara Airpot to the ferry is just 8km – less than ten minutes.

Sinn Féin Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh – who is from Carraroe – said it ‘beggared belief’ that the decision was taken without consultation and pointed out it would cost 40 jobs at Aer Arann.

“It beggars belief that a decision with such immense consequences for the future of the island communities might have been taken – without even consulting with the very people who use the service as part of the adjudication process.

“Who was on the evaluation panel and what experience they have in running an air service to offshore islands?

“Did any of them visit the islands during the process and what weighting was given to the public submissions as the applications were being appraised?

“There are 40 direct jobs at stake here and it would seem incredible that 45 years of continued, high-quality service given by Aer Arann might be jettisoned at this point without ensuring that a more superior and improved service would be replacing it and that certainly is not clear at this stage,” said Senator Ó Clochartaigh.

While the helicopter company has been selected as the ‘preferred bidder’ for the air service, a contract has not yet been signed.

That decision would see Aer Arann Islands’ fixed-wing airplane service – nearly forty flights per week between the three islands and the airport in Indreabhán – replaced by a helicopter service from Galway Airport with a requirement for a minimum of two return flights daily.

Aer Arann has previously operated up to 25 flights per day during peak season.

The company has indicated to Minister McHugh that it is considering a High Court injunction to prevent the contract being awarded.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.