AER LINGUS has signed a ten-year franchise agreement with Emerald Airlines for the operation of Aer Lingus Regional flights.
While services under the new partnership are due to kick off from January 1, 2023 the Irish flag carrier stated it’s working closely with Emerald to evaluate options for a potential earlier start date. This decision comes after Stobart Air – the former partner which had previously plied all Regional flights – ceased operations in June 2021. According to Aer Lingus, the franchise agreement with Emerald, which it anticipates will create more than 400 new jobs, will support its Dublin hub strategy by feeding connectivity from UK regional gateways to North America.