Travellers have been left stranded in cities in the UK and Ireland and nearly 500 jobs are at risk after a regional Irish airline announced it was going into liquidation.
Aer Lingus said a number of regional flights had been cancelled after the operator, Stobart Air, ended its contract with the Irish airline.
The announcement, which comes after Stobart Air failed to find a buyer and ceased trading, affects several flights from Dublin and Belfast airports to UK cities.
An Aer Lingus statement said it had been notified late on Friday that Stobart was terminating its franchise agreement with immediate effect.
The statement said: “Stobart Air referred to the continuing impact of the pandemic, which has resulted in almost no flying since March 2020. Stobart Air has ceased trading and is now in the process of appointing a liquidator.
“Aer Lingus apologises to customers for the inconvenience caused by the cancellation at such short notice of all flights operated by Stobart Air.”
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