Winter routes to be reviewed in Aer Arann survival plan

Date Published: 11-Aug-2009

AER Arann is to consider a strategic plan for the winter season that will be presented to the airline’s board this week which could be crucial to its survival in the current downturn.

A statement from the regional airline said some seasonal and holiday routes will be discontinued for the winter, while other routes have been reviewed “in line with the current market and traffic trends through the winter in previous years”.

A spokeswoman stressed that the board meeting on Wednesday is a regular meeting and it was customary to consider a winter schedule suited to the low-season months at this time of the year.

However there has been increased speculation about the meeting since owner Pádraig Ó Céidigh announced that he had held “preliminary” discussions with potential investors with a view to taking a major stake in the company.

He also told the Irish Times last week that he would be prepared to relinquish majority control of the company if he considered it to be in the airline’s best interests.

Yesterday the airline declined to say whether this was an issue which would come before the board this week.

“The matter of investment in the airline is…