Staff at Waterford Regional Airport will not be affected by Aer Arann’s cost-cutting plan to shed 100 jobs, though the company has urged passengers to help secure their regional routes by supporting air services from the Killowen base.
A spokesperson for the company has confirmed to The Munster Express that neither the 20 posts at Aer Arann’s recently opened Waterford base nor the company’s aircraft based at the airport were under threat from the streamlining plan that will follow a review of the overall operation.
Announced on Monday, the measure will see an increased concentration on the charter and wet lease programme introduced during the summer and a reduction in marginal scheduled services. However the company has not announced which routes that will be reduced or cancelled.
The airline currently operates over 600 flights per week across 40 routes in Ireland to the UK and Europe, including eight routes from Waterford. The spokesperson said Aer Arann’s key routes would be unaffected by this change, which is being implemented to ensure the airline’s long-term future.
The airline is understood to have entered into discussions with staff representatives on the cost reduction programme associated with the new business model and the job losses are expected to be predominantly in Dublin.
“Aer Arann is committed to Waterford and all the regional airports and will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the company’s viability and long term development”, the spokesperson concluded.
