Aer Lingus Regional has enjoyed a 35% rise in passenger traffic for April 2014. The higher number of passengers has been attributed to the longer-than-normal Easter holiday, and to new routes available. The regional carrier operated by Stobart Air for Aer Lingus said passenger numbers rose to 112,435 in April — up more than a third from 2013. Greater Dublin traffic was the most important factor, with numbers up 50% for the period. Flyers from UK regional airports are using the service to link up with transatlantic flights from Ireland, including Aer Lingus's own, instead of travelling through Heathrow Airport. "There has been a 52% increase in passengers originating from the UK that are connecting to transatlantic flights at Dublin and Shannon, particularly from Bristol and Glasgow," Simon Fagan, commercial director at Stobart Air said. It is not all plain sailing for the airline however: the cabin crew union IMPACT has served notice of industrial action in a disagreement over rosters, which it says place excessive demands on staff; the want the same roster arrangements which have been granted to pilots. It is understood that if the strike materializes, it will disrupt 204 flights and the travel plans of 28,000 customers on the Friday leading into the June bank holiday weekend. Aer Lingus Chief Executive, Christoph Mueller, has told his staff that no other Irish company has experienced so much disruption to bookings owing to labour disputes. Passengers are advised to check the www.aerlingus.com website for details of changes to flights.
