In my mind this is about Aer Lingus protecting their feed at Dublin by keeping Stobart in business.
Stobart Group stated that they wouldn't bankroll Stobart Air in any expansion so it would appear that Aer Lingus were persuaded to help. All the routes will be the commercial responsibility of Stobart Air but clearly it makes sense for Aer Lingus to help them out rather than let them get into financial difficulty and put their DUB feed at risk. How long will it be before Stobart Group look to try and offload the airline on Aer Lingus?