Loganair is to start serving Dublin from Aberdeen following the collapse of Aer Lingus franchise carrier Stobart Air two weeks ago.
The link between Scotland’s oil and gas hub with the Irish capital starts on September 5 with tickets on sale from today (June 24).
The route will be served by 49-seat Embraer 145 regional jets, with prices on the 1 hour 20 minute flights starting at £64.99 from Aberdeen and €69 from Dublin one way including all taxes and charges.
Initially operating four times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, will increase to daily from March 28 next year, with extra flights added on Mondays and Fridays from April 24, 2022.
The route adds to 10 already flown from Aberdeen by Loganair, including to Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol.
It also marks a return to Dublin for the Glasgow-based airline, the first since the suspension of its Inverness service last year. Both Inverness and Teesside will also be on the Loganair network from Dublin next summer.
Loganair will offer connections from its network via Aberdeen to Dublin – including from Sumburgh in Shetland and Kirkwall in Orkney.
Loganair chief commercial officer Kay Ryan said: “We are truly excited to be operating this important service and pleased to be able to step in and quickly restore the vital link between these two great cities.
“It fits well with our increasingly dominant presence as the UK’s premier regional airline and develops our growing relationship with IAG through our codeshare with BA. We now look forward to enhancing our connectivity further as we work closely with Aer Lingus.
“We believe that, as certainty grows with the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination programme, an easing of current travel restrictions to and from the Irish Republic will allow customers to book and travel with confidence.”
Matt Hazlewood, group commercial director for Aberdeen airport owner AGS Airports, added: “These routes strengthen our connectivity in the north-east of Scotland following the collapse of Stobart Air two weeks ago. Bringing back business safely is a key priority at our airport and this route will be warmly welcomed by our passengers and stakeholders.”
Dublin airport managing director Vincent Harrison said: “Dublin airport has historically had very strong connectivity to a host of British cities and we’re happy to see Loganair restoring the direct connection between Dublin and Aberdeen and offering onward connectivity to a number of other Scottish destinations. We’ll be working hard with our colleagues at Loganair to help drive traffic in both directions on the new service.”