Local uncertainty concerning the future of air links to the Isle of Man has prompted one airline to increase its services to Northern Ireland.
Euromanx”s collapse has led to some bitter words from the Island”s parliamentarians, but rival Manx2.com says it is filling the void left by the carrier going bust.
”The recent demise of Euromanx has left some questions in Islanders” minds about local aviation which we fully intend to answer,” said Manx2 communications director James Filleul.
”We have already booked more than 2,000 former Euromanx passengers onto our services free of charge and we are now increasing the frequency of our flights to Belfast to make sure there is more choice.”
Specifically, the number of daily Belfast rotations will rise from 14 to a maximum of 16 from October this year, with extra flights for peak morning and evening departures. ”And, despite the ever-increasing cost of fuel, we are still offering fares on the route from ”15 ($29.40) ” the online single fare including tax with no fuel surcharges,” added Filleul.
Euromanx entered liquidation on 9 May provoking fury from the Isle of Man Department of Transport, but tentative talks to try and rescue the airline through the auspices of Aer Arran and Flybe failed to save it.
And Manx2 has not been slow to capitalise on the situation, highlighting how it has recruited two former members of the Euromanx team, while also looking to train locally-based pilots to meet planned fleet expansion with the acquisition of a 19-seat Dornier 228 aircraft slated to arrive in July.
”We are a local company based at the airport and offering seven routes from the Island,” said a Manx2 spokesman. ”We are adding more flights and are recruiting more staff in the Isle of Man both in terms of crew and operations.
”We will shortly be opening our new engineering base and company HQ here.”