New €5m air service contract between mainland and Aran Islands secured
A new air service contract for the Aran Islands worth almost €5 million has been secured.
Coming into effect today (Tuesday June 7), the Public Service Obligation (PSO) contract is expected to significantly boost tourism and ensures essential mainland connectivity for Ireland's island communities.
The contract - which will run for four years until 2026 - provides of a direct service from the mainland to Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr.
The contract with Galway Aviation Services Limited, trading as Aer Arann Islands, follows extensive consultation with island stakeholders and a full procurement process.
It will provide 68,274 PSO seats annually to the three islands and will operate from Aerfort Chonamara, which was purchased by the State in 2019.
A flexible scheduling scheme will allow operators to better respond to local service demands, such as island festivals and events.
'Ad Hoc’ and ‘Scheduled non-PSO’ flights will also be provided by the operator to meet any demand above the agreed PSO seating allocation.