Perhaps a buy out is on the cards for Aer Arann by Aer Lingus in time. Has been always rumoured. Aer Arann recently shedding ground handling in Dublin and outsourcing to SHP. Business and Finance magazine rumouring that the company is slimming up in line for a buy out.
Would think that it would make good business sense in time for Aer Lingus to buy them out. You could then open up ORK to transatlantic and use all the current UK routes served by RE to boost pax numbers. Surely running an ATR on routes to Mancester, BHX, CWL full would make more sense that operating a half full Airbus during lower seasons. It would free these up for the longer routes. Aer Arann took delivery of it's first 500 series this week so it will be interesting to see the pax reaction to it. It's being marketed as being in the same noise range as a jet.