Why are these DUB-SNN-DUB flights taking place?

Gaoth Laidir

I've noticed recently that Emerald ATR-72 EI-GPP has been doing continuous rotations between Dublin and Shannon, with very short turnaround times. What's the reason for it?

EI-GPP - ATR 72-600 - Aer Lingus - Flightradar24

These are Training flights. There have been a number of them over the past month. GPO & GPN have been doing them as well.

Gaoth Laidir

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826909#Comment_118826909

Thank you. Who are they training? Do they have a training academy or what's the setup?

Cloudio9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826928#Comment_118826928

Pilots. They’re ramping up to take over the Aer Lingus regional contract , formerly served by stobart.

goingnowhere

Dublin is base airport for Emerald so thats why the flights originate from there. Certain number of landings/takeoffs required.

Shannon historically been used for training by Aer Lingus, BA and many others in the past. Nice quiet airport with a big long runway.

Gaoth Laidir

Excuse my ignorance but are the pilots they're training short on hours? Is it typical for some airlines to do this type of training? I know for certain routes specific training is required, regardless of the experience of the pilots. Or are these Shannon flights for a type-rating?

Irish Steve

As I understand it, the training at the moment is not as such training, but satisfying regulatory requirements for numbers of landings, instrument approaches and approvals for the operator, so not as such "learning", and it's not as such a box ticking exercise, more a case of making sure that the experience levels are recent, and that all the crews are up to speed with the "standard operating procedures" that have been agreed with the IAA. While those procedures are probably identical to the procedures that were in place at Stobart, there is also the possibility that some pilots were not operating with Stobart, so have to be confirmed as fully aware of the requirements laid down by Emerald and the IAA.

smurfjed

Working for a different company, we just brought a baby Airbus into operation, authorities required 8 sectors to demonstrate our capability to operate it. As we operate worldwide, there is still an outstanding question if we need to operator it to the USA and back :) So these route proving flights are a common requirement and thats before we seek GPS/RNAV approvals and CAT-II.