The business community in Cork reacted with anger yesterday at the manner in which the national carrier Aer Lingus decided to scrap its Cork to Dublin route.
Aer Lingus told management at Cork Airport on Tuesday that it would stop operating flights between Cork and Dublin from the beginning of the winter schedule on October 26th.
The company said the route was running at a loss. Chief Operations Officer Mr Seamus Kearney said yesterday: "Our mandate is to operate a commercially viable airline and we see it as preferable to put our loss-making routes into profit- making routes out of Cork. Aer Lingus is the largest carrier into and out of Cork and we intend that to continue.
"We don't see this as a negative decision for Cork. We're already looking at alternative destinations from Cork and believe it will benefit from this decision in the long-term."
Management at Cork Airport said that while it was disappointed at the news, it did not view it as a disaster. The airport director , Mr Joe O'Connor, said: "While I'm disappointed at the news - given the affection and standing Aer Lingus holds within Cork - I don't believe it's the end of the world. Aer Lingus opened three flights a week to Malaga from Cork last year, as well as other innovative destinations such as Amsterdam. There's nothing to stop other airlines starting to fly this route. the market will decide in the end."
However, the decision was criticised by Cork's business community, which questioned the validity of cancelling flights between the two cities, particularly in the run-up to Cork becoming European Capital of Culture in 2005.
The president of Cork Chamber of Commerce, Mr Robin O'Sullivan, said: "Aer Lingus should have come down to Cork and briefed the business community on their intentions. If they had an economic and rational argument for the decision, let's hear it and let them be up front about it. "
Fine Gael TD Mr Bernard Allen urged "every politician should fight this decision tooth and nail" while Green Party TD Mr Dan Boyle said it was a "calculated insult and denial of responsibility" by the national airline.
Yesterday Aer Arann said it would pick up the Dublin service terminated by Aer lingus.