Portugal News Online         

In a statement to The Portugal News last week, an airline representative confirmed: “Aer Lingus has announced that we will be scaling back our operation at Gatwick airport, which unfortunately affects the Faro-Gatwick route. Effective approximately mid-March, the route will be suspended”.

Regarding its routes from the Algarve to Ireland, it confirmed: “However, to clarify, this announcement does not affect the Aer Lingus Faro - Ireland operation, which will continue to operate as normal”.

An announcement issued by the Aer Lingus Press Office that morning shed more light as to why the route is being withdrawn, stating, “After all the hard work that has been done building up this route it is very disappointing to have to withdraw the Faro-Gatwick service, however it is part of a bigger decision and our focus now is to communicate the news to all our key contacts and customers and focus on our substantial Faro-Ireland operation”.

From March 31st 2010, Aer Lingus will reduce capacity at its London Gatwick Base from five to three Airbus A320 aircraft, a reflection of “weak consumer demand and continuing challenges in the UK operating environment, which have impacted aviation sector performance generally.

The three aircraft will continue to serve three existing routes to Malaga, Dublin and Knock and a new route to Cork.

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