Ireland Airways has delayed planned new routes as the airline has been unable to introduce new, larger aircraft in time for services to start during its 1997 summer schedule.
Ireland, which planned to take over the Dublin-Sligo service from Aer Lingus in March as the first stage of its Irish regional-network expansion, was negotiating to acquire up to three new British Aerospace ATPs on lease (Flight International, 5-11 March).
The carrier's managing director, Ruadhan Neeson, says that the airline is still committed to the expansion. "It would be more realistic to have [the larger aircraft] in place for the autumn," he says.
Source: Flight International
