Tag: Air Transport

Aer Lingus is to axe its postal and courier service to Britain and Europe from January as part of its ongoing drive to compete with other low-cost carriers.
Chief executive Willie Walsh told An Post management late last week that he had decided to drop its mail and courier deliveries from European flights in addition to cargo services from January 1. Aer Lingus carries about four million items of mail for An Post to Britain and Europe each week, both commercial and domestic. An Post’s director of corporate and regulatory affairs, Larry Donald, warned that the decision could impact on its own cost base. “It could have serious implications in terms of cost and also the quality of service, and it could also have implications for delays both for inbound and outbound post, depending on the availability of alternative flights,” Donald said.

Aer Lingus may axe its postal service and courier business as part of its low-fares strategy’s faster turnaround, The Sunday Business Post has learned.

A spokeswoman for the airline said the postal and courier service was “currently under review”. Such a move would have serious implications for An Post’s international deliveries, although the postal service has received no notification by Aer Lingus of a review of the service.

Sources at An Post said they would expect a lengthy notification period before any changes were made, in order to make alternative arrangements for its mail service. John Whelan, the chief executive of the Irish Exporters Association, said the decision would hit mail order businesses in particular.