The inaugural flight between Edinburgh Airport and Belfast City Airport with Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Stobart Air, takes off.
The new route will commence at 1735 on Thursday 27 August 2020 as the airline expands its presence at Edinburgh Airport and increases connectivity between Scotland and Ireland.
Up top three daily flights will operate between Edinburgh and Belfast City and will become the airline’s fourth route to and from Edinburgh after Dublin, Cork and Shannon.
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: “It’s always great to see airlines growing their presence at Edinburgh Airport but we’re especially excited to see his route commence considering the difficulties of the last few months.
“Stobart Air and Aer Lingus Regional are close partners of ours and their confidence in Edinburgh and Scotland is clear. We welcome their decision to grow their presence here and provide increased links between our capital cities, and we look forward to working with each other to make the route a success and identify other potential opportunities.”
Commenting on the announcement, Stobart Air Managing Director Andy Jolly said: “We are pleased to establish a base at Belfast City Airport and to work closely with Edinburgh Airport, Belfast City Airport and our partners Aer Lingus to operate flights to and from Edinburgh.
“Stobart Air has worked hard over the past number of months to protect our airline during challenging times and to position us for the future. The launch of this service is part of that.
“This new Aer Lingus Regional route will facilitate key links and connectivity between these cities and ensure we provide choice, value and convenience for our customers. We look forward to welcoming our passengers on board this new -Edinburgh-Belfast route from today.”
The route will be serviced by an ATR72-600 aircraft.
Pre-Covid, Stobart Air, operator of Aer Lingus Regional, operated over 900 flights weekly across 30 routes throughout Ireland, the UK and Western Europe. The airline operates a fleet of 15 aircraft from Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Kerry and Donegal airports in Ireland, as well as operating across 13 UK airports. These key routes improve connectivity, choice and flexibility for both business and leisure travellers.
New measures on Stobart Air services include measures include:
Enhanced aircraft cleaning: To ensure the wellbeing of our passengers and crew, enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures have been introduced for the aircraft cabin, which are in addition to the existing aircraft cleaning schedule. Each aircraft, including seats, armrests and tray tables will be subject to a daily disinfection process which provides surface protection from viruses for 24 hours.
On board measures: Face coverings or masks are mandatory on all flights operated by Stobart Air for customers and cabin crew respectively, with the exception of small children and those who are unable to wear a face mask for medical reasons. The face coverings can be in the form of a reusable cloth mask or a disposable mask and it is recommended that these are worn from the time passengers enter the departure airport to the time they leave their destination airport.
Initially, when flights resume, the in-flight service will be suspended to reduce interaction between our crew and passengers. Passengers will be encouraged to remain seated while on board.
At the airport: Stobart Air have introduced new boarding and disembarkation procedures to reduce passenger interaction. Passengers will board and disembark the aircraft in small groups and according to seat row numbers. At the boarding gate, customers will scan their own boarding card and show their passport or ID to the staff member, making this process contactless.
Tags: Edinburgh Airport, Belfast City Airport , Aer Lingus Regional
