Stobart Air is celebrating passing the ten million passenger landmark under its Aer Lingus Regional franchise banner.

The number of regional routes served by Stobart across Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Kerry and Donegal airports has increased from 12 to 25, with more than 22,000 flights, since the franchise began in March 2010.

Congratulating Stobart on its “momentous milestone,” Cork Airport Managing Director Niall MacCarthy said the carrier now serves nine routes in and out of Cork to destinations to the UK and France.

“Such is the success of these services, we have seen increased frequencies, expansions and enhanced scheduling across many of these routes this year.”

He added: “In 2019, we will cater for 2.6 million passengers who will travel through Cork Airport, which will be up 7% on the 2.4 million passengers served this year, with over 50 routes on offer. Stobart Air plays a key role in this growth and we look forward to building on today’s success well into the future.”

Said Stobart Air Managing Director Graeme Buchanan: “Since the inception of our franchise agreement with Aer Lingus eight years ago, we have worked together to deliver regional connectivity for our passengers throughout Ireland and the UK. 

“We operate across some of the busiest and most popular routes, positioning Ireland as an international transatlantic travel hub. This is a key part of our growth strategy.   

“We’re very proud of this 10 million passenger milestone. It highlights the success of our franchise partnership with Aer Lingus and is testament to the strength of our business model in providing regional connectivity for leading airlines. We look forward to further developing our route network and we remain focused on future growth plans and developments.”

He added: “We are committed to growing the airline by expanding our fleet and our team, improving our service, and continuing to connect Irish passengers to regional destinations and beyond.”

Stobart Air has doubled its workforce in the last eight years, currently employing almost 600 people.