Connemara aviation- Aer Arann Islands get contract to 2025

https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2021/0505/1213892-aran-islands-flights/

Interestingly they get the Inisbofin facilities as well, but no mention of a service. Maintenance only?

L1011

They've had the maintenance contract for the Inishbofin/mainland pair for a while now.

L1011 wrote: »

They've had the maintenance contract for the Inishbofin/mainland pair for a while now.

When did they get that?

Ubbquittious

Do we have to be prepared for a new sabre-rattling episode in 2025 so?

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Do we have to be prepared for a new sabre-rattling episode in 2025 so?

Eh, are you looking to have those airfields shut down instead? Or maybe Farranfore & Donegal to join them because “the only true aviation is the big airports that don’t take MY taxes”??

Noxegon

Maybe slightly off-topic, but I feel that Aer Arann Islands is missing a trick by not explicitly selling organised day trips to the islands. I'm looking at things to do this summer – and as far as I can see the bicycle rental places are nowhere near the airports on any of the islands.

Ubbquittious

Addison Modern Bather wrote: »

Eh, are you looking to have those airfields shut down instead? Or maybe Farranfore & Donegal to join them because “the only true aviation is the big airports that don’t take MY taxes”??

No I want them to stay open. But every couple of years there seems to be a bit of argy bargy about the contract and the price for some reason

LXFlyer

Noxegon wrote: »

Maybe slightly off-topic, but I feel that Aer Arann Islands is missing a trick by not explicitly selling organised day trips to the islands. I'm looking at things to do this summer – and as far as I can see the bicycle rental places are nowhere near the airports on any of the islands.

From past experience, and per their website, there's a private mini-bus that connects with all of the flights that will take you to where the bicycle rentals businesses are located (along with anywhere else on the islands!).

Noxegon wrote: »

Maybe slightly off-topic, but I feel that Aer Arann Islands is missing a trick by not explicitly selling organised day trips to the islands. I'm looking at things to do this summer – and as far as I can see the bicycle rental places are nowhere near the airports on any of the islands.

Absolutely true. Could be a marvellous little interconnect of bicycle hire (including electric bike) were available at the little island terminals.

I must say I love the Islander aircraft, noisy though it is. Made for the job, a solid performer for short runways and well able for the weather conditions encountered. Had I taken up a piloting career, I would like nothing better than to serve little island communities.

Noxegon

LXFlyer wrote: »

From past experience, and per their website, there's a private mini-bus that connects with all of the flights that will take you to where the bicycle rentals businesses are located (along with anywhere else on the islands!).

I saw that. That's certainly possible.

That being said, when I'm only going to be in a place for 7/8 hours total my preference would be depart directly for my plan rather than take a minibus somewhere else first.

There are plenty of all-inclusive day trip packages by boat. Kind of surprised there are none by air.

Stovepipe

Noxegon wrote: »

I saw that. That's certainly possible.

That being said, when I'm only going to be in a place for 7/8 hours total my preference would be depart directly for my plan rather than take a minibus somewhere else first.

There are plenty of all-inclusive day trip packages by boat. Kind of surprised there are none by air.

there are local rivalries to contend with, that's why.

Noxegon

Well, I'm definitely NOT going to visit by boat. I learned that lesson

LXFlyer

Noxegon wrote: »

I saw that. That's certainly possible.

That being said, when I'm only going to be in a place for 7/8 hours total my preference would be depart directly for my plan rather than take a minibus somewhere else first.

There are plenty of all-inclusive day trip packages by boat. Kind of surprised there are none by air.

The minibus rides would be less than 10 mins max - I think that would be perfectly manageable within your day out scenario.

Stovepipe

You can't get off the pier, from the boat without being accosted by aggressive bike hawkers. I was once walking away from the boat when a teenager approached me and asked me and my girlfriend if we wanted bikes. When we declined, he got aggressive and shouty and took us both by surprise. "ye need a bike...ye have to have one to get around!....why don't ye want one?!" Well, that was the Aran islands experience ruined for us from the start.

Ubbquittious

Stovepipe wrote: »

You can't get off the pier, from the boat without being accosted by aggressive bike hawkers. I was once walking away from the boat when a teenager approached me and asked me and my girlfriend if we wanted bikes. When we declined, he got aggressive and shouty and took us both by surprise. "ye need a bike...ye have to have one to get around!....why don't ye want one?!" Well, that was the Aran islands experience ruined for us from the start.

Never seen that happening but those islands are set up as a giant milking parlour to milk tourists. The throngs of people going to those ones compared to other islands around the country is absolutely unreal.


I remember being in Doolin one time and the ferries were flat out going back and forth packed to the brim with girls with lovely bottoms. Schedule be damned, as soon as the thing came back they filled it to capacity and back out again the whole day long. Unbelievable. If Dursey had that many visitors the queue for the cable car would stretch to Malin Head