Aer Arann Islands

Aer Arann Islands
Britten-Norman Islander BN2A
IATA ICAO Call sign
- - -
Founded1970 as Galway Aviation Services
Commenced operations
August 1970 as Aer Arann
Operating bases
Connemara Airport
Fleet size3
Destinations4
HeadquartersConnemara Airport, Inverin, County Galway
Websiteaerarannislands.ie
Aer Arann Islands
ATR 72 in Aer Lingus Regional colours
Founded2011 as trademark
Ceased operations
Defunct - Purchased by Stobart Group consortium and re-branded
Parent companyEverdeal Holdings Limited
Key peopleSean Brogan (Chief Executive)
Websitewww.aerarann.com

Aer Arann Islands (stylised as aer arann islands) is an Irish small regional airline headquartered in Inverin, County Galway.[1] It operates a fleet of three Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander aircraft, connecting the Aran Islands with the mainland.

History

The airline's origins go back to 1970 when James Coen, Ralph Langan, and Colie Hernon[2] established Galway Aviation Services to provide an island-hopping service between Galway and Inis Mòr (Aran Islands), off the west coast of Ireland. Operations, using a single Britten-Norman Islander, began on 8 August 1970, immediately branded Aer Arann.

The tiny airline 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 in cooperation with Avair, in the 1980s.[3]

An ATR 72 leased to Aer Arann
An ATR 72 with Aer Arann Express titles
An ATR 42 operated by Aer Lingus

In 1994, Aer Arann was acquired by Pádraig Ó Céidigh and Eugene O'Kelly, who expanded it into a regional airline.[4] In March 1998, the Aer Arann Express brand was launched for wider operations with leased aircraft such as ATR 42, ATR 72, Jetstream 31, Short 330, and Short 360 but they were halted in May 2003. In spring 2000, Aer Arann trading name was abandoned and Aer Arann Regional was adopted from spring 2011 until 2014. PSO domestic flights were performed from 1998 until the Dublin government did not renew the contract for four of the six routes. After a couple of loss-making years the airline recovered but the "ash cloud" of 2010 put an end to the recovery. The Irish High Court allowed the airline to recover, in a process similar to U.S. chapter 11 exit and began the search for a powerful investor. Activities carried out on behalf of the Aer Lingus Regional brand started in January 2010.

After the regional carrier was acquired by logistics Stobart Group in 2014 and changed its name to Stobart Air, the service to the small island was spun off to an independent Aer Arann Islands, a name already used since the early 2000s, 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.[6]

The air carrier is now based at Connemara Airport and operates between 10 and 30 flights to the three Aran islands with an average flight time of eight minutes. Aer Arann Islands confirmed the choice of the Britten-Norman BN.2 Islander aircraft as ideal for this service.

As of January 2020 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] In August 2024, it was reported that it was evaluating purchasing the 19-seater De Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft, a type that had always aroused interest.[8]

Fleet

As of February 2025, Aer Arann Islands operate a fleet of 3 Britten Norman BN-2 aircraft. These are registered EI-AYN, EI-BCE and EI-CUW [9]

Aircraft type In service Orders Passengers Remarks
Britten-Norman Islander BN2A 2 – 9
Britten-Norman Islander BN2B 1 – 9
Total 3 0

Destinations

Destination Airport Remarks Refs
Aran IslandsInis MeáinInishmaan Aerodrome
Inis MórInishmore Aerodrome
Inis OírrInisheer Aerodrome
Ireland (mainland)InverinConnemara AirportBase

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Contact." Aer Arann Islands. Retrieved 15 May 2016. "Address: Aer Arann Islands, An Caislean, Inverin, Co. Galway, Ireland."
  2. ↑ "Ethos of a heroic airline". Irish Independent. 17 April 2016. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Aer Árann - 25 years serving the islands". Aer Arann. Archived from the original on 10 September 1999. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  4. ↑ O'Donohugh, Paul (12 November 2016). "Ex-Aer Arann boss: 'I was lucky to get out of the industry with my life and some money'". Fora. Ireland. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  5. ↑ Watkins, Marc (22 January 2020). "Ireland's Aer Arann Islands sold". ch-aviation. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  6. ↑ "Aran Islands Reprieve". Airliner World: 7. November 2015.
  7. ↑ Moreau, Emer (5 June 2022). "€4.9 million contract announced for flights to the Aran Islands". thejournal.ie. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  8. ↑ Bradley, Dara (12 August 2024). "Aer Arann's major investment". Connacht Tribune - Galway City Tribune. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  9. ↑ Dwyer, Mark. "Aircraft Registrations". Flying In Ireland. Retrieved 5 August 2024.

Further reading

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