The cost of air fares between Inverness and Dublin have been reduced to £19.99 one way, inclusive of taxes, as part of Aer Arann’s summer seat sale.

 

Seats booked via the airline’s www.aerarann.com website during May will qualify for the all inclusive one-way price of £19.99, subject to availability – making a return trip less than £40. The sale lasts until the end of May and covers travel until 17 September 2006.

 

More than 1,000 passengers have used the first direct air link between the Highland capital and Dublin since it launched on 10 April.

 

Aer Arann operates four return flights a week between the Highlands and the Irish capital on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays departing Dublin at 10.30am and Inverness at 12.15pm with a flight time of one hour and 15 minutes.

 

The new route qualified for support from the Air Route Development Fund which is supported by the Scottish Executive and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

 

Alex Johnson, commercial and marketing manager at Highlands and Islands Airports said: “Dublin was one of the routes most regularly cited as a ‘must have’ by people in the region and Aer Arann has been delighted with the response from travellers in its first month of operation. This summer seat sale is a great opportunity to book up and visit Dublin for less than £40 return.”

 

Inverness is the largest of 10 airports in the region operated by Highlands and Islands Airports and handles more than 330 scheduled flights each week. It is the fastest growing airport in the region and has seen passenger growth of 85% since 2000 as a result of route development and air service enhancements. The airport should handle around 800,000 passengers in the current operating year ending 31 March 2007.

 

Inverness Airport manager James Walton said: “Research has shown that the airport provides an annual economic output of £120 million and supports 2,300 full time equivalent jobs in the Highlands.

 

“Eastern Airways launched a new Leeds Bradford service from Inverness at the end of April and will start a Newcastle service at the beginning of June. Ryanair will launch a Liverpool service at the airport in October.

 

“This continuing growth in connectivity and increasing passenger numbers will make the airport an even more important economic generator for the region over the coming years.”