The franchise agreement is due to formally start on 1 January 2023, but may begin earlier due to the demise of Stobart Air in June, which previously operated as Aer Lingus Regional. Stobart ceased flying when its parent company Esken declined to bail it out.

Aer Lingus Regional feeds the mainline carrier’s Dublin-North America flights as well as providing point-to-point services from the UK, Isle of Man and Jersey to Ireland. Under the agreement, Emerald Airlines will operate ATR turboprop aircraft in Aer Lingus branding and livery.

Following the closure of Stobart Air, Aer Lingus mainline began flying six Aer Lingus Regional routes, which it said would continue “until at least the end of March 2022”.
 
British Airways’ subsidiary BA CityFlyer, is also operating four routes for the remainder of summer 2021.

Conor McCarthy, Emerald Airlines Founder and chief executive, said: “This is a major development for Irish aviation and the wider tourism industry. The combined strengths of both airlines will allow us to offer optimised connectivity from popular cities and routes across Ireland, the UK and beyond.
 
“Emerald Airlines have ambitious plans to grow and develop this partnership over the next few years with the first ATR aircraft joining shortly.
 
“As we add additional aircraft to our fleet, we will be recruiting more than 400 new staff members – a great boost for the industry which has been so badly impacted by the pandemic.”