But Ryanair immediately issued a statement insisting that while it had offered to operate the service without any subsidies, no agreement had been concluded. The Dublin-Kerry route was operated as a public service obligation (PSO) route that was heavily subsidised with taxpayer money. Stobart Air, which operated the Aer Lingus Regional service, also flew the Dublin-Donegal PSO route. “I believe this is a really good outcome for the Kerry region, providing a higher capacity air service for passengers as the summer season unfolds, and supporting the local economy as it begins its recovery from Covid,” he added. The Department of Transport hopes that the Dublin-Donegal PSO service will also re-launch the same week, with a preferred bidder having been selected.

Source: Irish Independent July 10, 2021 01:30 UTC