asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) the amount per flight which Aer Linte Éireann will pay to Seaboard and Western Airlines, Limited, in respect of each transatlantic flight operated by them, and (b) the total minimum amount payable to Seaboard and Western Airlines, Limited, for each year during which Aer Linte Éireann leases planes from them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Transatlantic Air Services.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) whether the agreement between Aer Linte Éireann and Seaboard and Western Airlines, Limited, can be determined by Aer Linte Éireann within an agreed period, and, if so, within what period; and (b) the number of years duration of the agreement.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 10 and 12 together.
I have arranged that copies of the operating agreement between Aer Linte Éireann and Seaboard and Western Airlines, together with the relevant amending documents, will be laid on the Table of the House. I would refer the Deputy to those papers for the information for which he has asked.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state (a) the estimated number of passengers which Aer Linte Éireann must carry in the forthcoming 12 months on the transatlantic air service in order to avoid an operating loss, and (b) the number of passengers which it is estimated Aer Linte Éireann will carry on the transatlantic air service in the forthcoming 12 months.
Apart from the fact that this question relates to the day-to-day operations of Aer Linte Éireann and accordingly is not one which I would be prepared to answer, I would remind the Deputy that this is a new air service, in its first year of operation. It would not be reasonable to ask the company to make public the estimates of traffic on which it has based its plans for the first year of operation.