Aer Lingus should not ‘make light' of axed Dutch flights

CORK businesses are suffering as vital links to a top international hub remain cut, a Cork MEP has said.

Inward tourism will also suffer as Amsterdam provides a vital link to transatlantic routes for Cork travellers, Deirdre Clune has warned.

The Ireland South MEP expressed her outrage at the decision by Aer Lingus to cut flights, which she says were extremely popular with Cork and Munster-based business people and also those travelling long-haul to and from Ireland. 

Aer Lingus has reduced the number of flights operating on the Cork-Amsterdam route, including the removal of a critical Thursday evening flight from the schedule.  

According to Ms Clune, the Cork to Amsterdam Schiphol flight is a vital route for the Munster region, providing connectivity and access not only to Amsterdam, but also to onward flights through this international airline hub as well as excellent train access across Europe through Schiphol Railway Station.

Ms Clune said it was extremely inappropriate for Aer Lingus to make light of this matter by issuing a statement to The Southern Star recently, saying the planes are being deployed to sun destinations ‘so that the people of Cork and surrounding counties can get some much-needed summer sunshine.’

Ms Clune said: ‘I think it is inappropriate for Aer Lingus to make light of this matter with a response like this. Cork is a city looking to promote itself on the international stage and to cut off a link to one of the top global airports is just not acceptable. I am calling on Aer Lingus to reinstate the flights as a matter of urgency.’

Feedback from regular business passengers of the cancelled flights has shown that already Cork is losing business as a result of the cancelled flights.