The airline has also announced new winter services to Malta and Seville, following an industrial action expected to cost it €55m
Photo: Getty
Aer Lingus has announced three new routes for its forthcoming winter schedule – to Malta, the Moroccan city of Marrakech, and Seville in Spain.
Malta will operate three times weekly from October 25, Marrakech three times a week from October 26, and Seville three times weekly from October 25.
The new services will operate from Dublin Airport, and are available to book now with lead-in rates from €49.99 each-way (Seville) and €69.99 (Malta and Marrakech), it said.
The three destinations are already served from Dublin Airport by Ryanair, which also flies to Agadir and recently opened a fourth base in Morocco in Tangiers.
Aer Lingus is also set to increase capacity on several European routes, including Alicante, Athens, Nice, Mallorca, Tenerife and a year-round, four-times weekly service to Faro in Portugal.
It will fly five times a week to Bordeaux this winter, extend its Izmir service to December, and operate double-daily flights from Dublin Airport to Lanzarote on the new schedule.
A new transatlantic service is also set for take off in October – connecting Dublin Airport to Las Vegas in the US.
Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech. Photo: Francesco Riccardo Lacomino / Getty
The news follows an industrial action by pilots this summer that cost Aer Lingus dearly in terms of bookings, revenue and reputational damage.
The action is expected to cost the airline €55m over several months, according to its latest financial report, “before including the impact on forward bookings”.
It saw more than 600 flights cancelled over several weeks, before a resolution based on recommendations by the Labour Court.
“Aer Lingus is assessing the implications of the financial damage caused by the dispute in the context of the current competitive environment and the passenger cap at Dublin Airport,” it said in the report.
“This will include a review of the weaker parts of the airline’s network and its cost base.”
It also noted “market pressures” including a 20pc increase in competitors’ transatlantic capacity, putting pressure on long-haul economy class revenue.
Aer Lingus and Ryanair have run numerous flash sales this summer, following the industrial action and lower than expected consumer demand for peak season flights.