Stobart Air tocutjobs in Dublin and Cork

DUBLIN-based Stobart Air, which operates the Aer Lingus Regional service, is to axe more than 100 jobs, the Irish Independent understands – despite saying earlier this week that it intends to relaunch almost all its flight schedule by August.

Aviation industry sources said that about half the jobs at the Stobart Group-owned airline are expected to be lost at Dublin and Cork.

The remainder will go at London Southend Airport, which is owned by the Stobart Group.

Stobart Air confirmed it will close the London Southend base and reduce the workforce in Dublin and Cork.

“While Stobart Air will begin a phased resumption of services from July 14, we will operate a reduced schedule, with less aircraft flying and less flights scheduled, in line with passenger demand and subject to travel guidelines,” a spokeswoman said.

“As a result, a reduction in our workforce is required, in line with our reduced operating schedule. While a difficult decision to take, it is a necessary one,” she added.

Stobart Air employs about 570 people, although many had been temporarily laid off in the past number of weeks.

The carrier made no mention of the planned redundancies this week when it announced resumption of services to and from the UK.

Stobart Air said on Tuesday that it will restart two Aer Lingus Regional routes – from Dublin to Edinburgh and Glasgow – on July 14.

It expects to relaunch almost all its other services from August 1 and August 2. They include routes from Dublin and Cork to destinations across the UK. A service from Shannon to Birmingham is scheduled to restart on September 3. It’s been continuing to operate publicly-funded services between Dublin and Kerry and Donegal during the lockdown.

The embattled carrier, led by its managing director Andy Jolly, has been struggling along with other airlines with the effects of the pandemic as air travel collapsed.

Stobart Group, whose chief executive is Warwick Brady, has pledged to bolster Stobart Air’s finances as it faces an uncertain future.

The group pledged €25m for the carrier in May, which it reacquired effective control of in April this year.

Last week, Stobart Group raised £100m (€112m) of fresh equity at a 42pc discount to shore up its own balance sheet.