Aer Lingus' reported sharp drop in winter losses, thanks in part to increased Trans-Atlantic business of which 31% is transfer at Dublin, reveals both a success and a hugely under exploited and resourced potential market.
Shannon apart, Dublin's position on the westernmost edge of Europe, makes it the best capital city jumping off point for for the USA. It has a massive geographical advantage over its European rivals in the same way as the Gulf has for traffic flows from Europe to much of the eastern and southern hemispheres. To add to its strength Dublin is now able to provide US immigration and customs clearance for all departing passengers thereby enabling them to bypass the often very congested and sometimes none too customer friendly border officials on arrival. For all those travelling from UK and European secondary cities in particular this is an unmatched advantage. Increasing numbers are already taking it and the Irish carrier launched new services to Toronto and San Francisco last summer. Aer Lingus' range of destinations and frequencies for both inbound feed and over in the USA is though nothing like London's and at current rate of expansion it will be a long time before they get anywhere near it.
That makes it interesting to muse what a Gulf style approach both to investment by Aer Lingus and in Dublin airport could do to European trans-Atlantic travel. It would need Gulf style money too. Hello, Etihad or maybe a phone call to the recently retired President (and architect) of Emirates Sir Maurice Flanaghan to see if he would be interested in a spot of consultancy? He must be getting a bit bored by now.
Shannon apart, Dublin's position on the westernmost edge of Europe, makes it the best capital city jumping off point for for the USA. It has a massive geographical advantage over its European rivals in the same way as the Gulf has for traffic flows from Europe to much of the eastern and southern hemispheres. To add to its strength Dublin is now able to provide US immigration and customs clearance for all departing passengers thereby enabling them to bypass the often very congested and sometimes none too customer friendly border officials on arrival. For all those travelling from UK and European secondary cities in particular this is an unmatched advantage. Increasing numbers are already taking it and the Irish carrier launched new services to Toronto and San Francisco last summer. Aer Lingus' range of destinations and frequencies for both inbound feed and over in the USA is though nothing like London's and at current rate of expansion it will be a long time before they get anywhere near it.
That makes it interesting to muse what a Gulf style approach both to investment by Aer Lingus and in Dublin airport could do to European trans-Atlantic travel. It would need Gulf style money too. Hello, Etihad or maybe a phone call to the recently retired President (and architect) of Emirates Sir Maurice Flanaghan to see if he would be interested in a spot of consultancy? He must be getting a bit bored by now.
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