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| Founded | 1970 (Galway); 53 years ago | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating bases | Connemara Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 3 | ||||||
| Destinations | 4 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Connemara Airport, Inverin, County Galway | ||||||
| Website | aerarannislands.ie | ||||||
Aer Arann Islands (stylised as aer arann islands) is an Irish airline headquartered in Inverin, County Galway. [1] They operate a fleet of three Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander aircraft, connecting the Aran Islands with mainland County Galway.
Aer Arann Islands was established as Aer Arann in 1970 by James Coen, Ralph Langan, and Colie Hernon [2] to provide an island-hopping air service between Galway and the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. Operations, using a single Britten-Norman Islander, began in August 1970.
Aer Arann made a number of short-lived expansions, including summer service along the south and west coasts with a Short Sandringham flying boat from Killaloe in the late 1970s, and commuter service between Shannon and Dublin, and to the UK with Avair, in the 1980s. [3]
In 1994, Aer Arann was acquired by Pádraig Ó Céidigh and Eugene O'Kelly, who expanded it into a regional airline. [4] When the regional carrier was acquired by Stobart Group in the 2010s and became Stobart Air, the Aran Islands service was spun off to an independent Aer Arann Islands, remaining owned by Ó Céidigh until 2020. [5]
After Aer Arann Islands failed to win a tender for a four-year contract, the island flight service was threatened with closure on September 30, 2015. This was to be replaced by a helicopter service from Galway Airport. Protests about the airport change and job losses led to this decision being reversed, so Aer Arann Islands continued to fly to the islands. [6]
This service is now based at Connemara Airport and operates between ten and thirty flights to the three Aran islands with an average flight time of eight minutes. As of 2021 [update] , Aer Arann Islands prefers the Britten-Norman islander aircraft to provide this service.
As of January 2020 [update] the airline is under new ownership with plans to develop and maintain the levels of service to both island communities and visitors. In 2022, the airline signed a four-year contract to provide year-round public service obligation (PSO) services from Connemara Airport to all three Aran islands. [7]
As of March 2022, Aer Arann Islands operate a fleet of 3 Britten Norman BN-2 aircraft. These are registered EI-AYN, EI-BCE and EI-CUW [8]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Britten-Norman Islander BN2A | 2 | – | 9 | |
| Britten-Norman Islander BN2B | 1 | – | 9 | |
| Total | 3 | 0 |
Aer Arann Islands destinations
Galway Bay is a bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south; Galway city is on the northeast side. The bay is about 50 kilometres (30 mi) long and from 10 kilometres (6 mi) to 30 kilometres (20 mi) in breadth. The Aran Islands are to the west across the entrance and there are numerous small islands within the bay. To the west of Galway, the rocks are granite but to the south they are limestone.
The Aran Islands or The Arans are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, with a total area around 46 km2 (18 sq mi). They constitute the historic barony of Aran in County Galway.
Kerry Airport, often called Farranfore Airport, is an international airport in Farranfore, County Kerry, Ireland. It is 7 nautical miles north off the Ring of Kerry and 8 nautical miles southeast of the county town, Tralee. Passenger services are operated by Ryanair and more recently French airline Chalair. In 2022, Kerry Airport handled 355,043 passengers; a decrease of 4% since 2019.
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a British light utility aircraft and regional airliner designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. Still in production, the Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in the 1960s, over 750 are still in service with commercial operators around the world. The aircraft is a light transport with over 30 military aviation operators around the world.
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Inishmaan is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Connacht. Inishmaan has a population of about 184, making it the least populous of the Aran Islands. It is one of the most important strongholds of traditional Irish culture. The island is predominantly Irish-speaking and part of the Gaeltacht, though all inhabitants have knowledge of English.
This is a bibliography of works relating to the Aran Islands.
Inisheer is the smallest and most easterly of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland. With 343 residents as of the 2022 census, it is second-most populous of the Arans. Caomhán of Inis Oírr is the island's patron saint. There are five small settlements: Baile Thiar, Chapeltown, Castle Village, Baile an Fhormna and Baile an Lorgain. The island is in a civil parish of the same name.
Inverin is a Gaeltacht village between Baile na hAbhann and Minna in County Galway, Ireland. There are Irish-language summer colleges in the area, most notably Coláiste Lurgan and Coláiste Uí Chadhain.
Inishmore is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. With an area of 31 km2 (12 sq mi) and a population of 820, it is the second-largest island off the Irish coast and most populous of the Aran Islands.
Inishmore Aerodrome is located 1 nautical mile southeast of Kilronan, a town on the island of Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands off the coast of County Galway in Ireland. It has one paved runway designated 14/32 which measures 490 by 18 m.
Inisheer Aerodrome is located on the island of Inisheer, one of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay off the coast of County Galway, Ireland. This aerodrome is licensed by the Aeronautical Services Department of the Irish Aviation Authority.
Inishmaan Aerodrome is located on the island of Inishmaan, one of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay off the coast of County Galway, Ireland. This aerodrome is licensed by the Aeronautical Services Department of the Irish Aviation Authority.
Dara Ó Conaola is an Irish writer who writes in Irish. His first book of short stories, Mo Chathair Ghríobháin, was published in 1981. A later short book of eight short stories, translated to English by Gabriel Rosenstock, was published as Night Ructions in 1990. The book was launched at the 1990 Sunday Times Festival of Literature, Hay-on-Wye, Wales.
Aer Lingus Regional is an Aer Lingus brand which is used for commuter and regional flights. Aer Lingus Regional scheduled passenger services operate primarily from Ireland to the United Kingdom, France, and the Channel Islands, along with services from Belfast, Northern Ireland to the places mentioned. Services were operated by Aer Arann and then its successor Stobart Air until the latter's closure in June 2021. The contract for the franchise was then awarded to Emerald Airlines and services resumed on February 26, 2022.
Stobart Air was an Irish regional airline based in Dublin, originating in 1970 and closing in 2021. It operated scheduled services under the brands Aer Lingus Regional, BA CityFlyer and KLM Cityhopper on behalf of their respective owners. Stobart Air had operating bases in Cork, Dublin and Belfast for Aer Lingus Regional.
Connemara Airport or Connemara Regional Airport is located at Inverin in the Connemara region of Ireland, 15 nautical miles west of the city of Galway. It is also known as Spiddal Airport, Inverin Airport, or Minna Airport, a name also used by Minna Airport in Minna, Nigeria.
Pádraig Ó Céidigh is an Irish former independent politician and businessman who served as a Senator from 2016 to 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach. He is the former owner of Aer Arann and Aer Arann Islands.
Dún Fearbhaí is a stone ringfort (cashel) and national monument located on Inishmaan, one of the Aran Islands, Ireland.
