Did any heads roll at RE after the ATR72 flight/JAR145 situation?
For anyone interested in how the PSOs are viewed, take a look at
http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/4803-0.pdf , the report by DKM for the government issued last year. Reading between the lines, Knock is very difficult to justify, the main purpose of Galway and Kerry (feed to Europe) is dead and gone and the requirements set out by the government (redeyes, 50-seat aircraft etc.) are considered mostly irrelevant going forward. Also, if the rumour factory is correct, it will not just be Arran and Loganair in the frame for the new round of contracts due to be advertised.
Arran need to find other routes which are profitable without so much reliance on PSO funds and also need to see what impact bmiBaby on Birmingham-CRK and Jet2 on BFS will have on their current services. A prudent Arran (unless they get a nod and a wink from insiders in the government) would hold off launching any new routes until they know what the fleet needs for their PSO routes (if any) will be after June. If they lose Kerry, for example, will their non-PSO routes from Kerry also be dropped?
The times they are a-changing...