Irish city air route fails to take off

IRISH airline Aer Arann has suspended plans to operate a new route between Derry and Edinburgh as a result of "very poor" bookings.

The carrier announced the new route on 1 March and had expected it to perform well when it launched on 20 May.

But sluggish bookings have caused the company to cancel the route for the time being. All passengers who had booked will receive full refunds, the airline said.

Andrew Kelly, Aer Arann's corporate affairs director, said: "We sincerely regret suspending the route at this point, but we must act in the overall interests of all of our customers and the airline.

"We looked at this route and we felt there was an opportunity based on reported demand, but that demand has not materialised and so we have made the decision not to start routes that show no signs of being anything but loss making. While unfortunate and regrettable, it is the wisest decision to make in the long-term interest of our customers and the financial performance of the airline."

The airline said it would continue to operate services between Edinburgh and Galway and Waterford.