Vol. 486 No. 4
74 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the number of daily flights which will operate from Dublin to Sligo under the essential air services programme; if it will be a condition of the programme that flights depart Sligo early in the morning with return flights from Dublin in the late evening; if her attention has been drawn to the need for such a service to Sligo and the north west; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2909/98]
The essential air services programme provides for two daily return flights on the Dublin-Sligo-Dublin route during the summer season — April to September, inclusive and one daily return flight during the winter season — October to March, inclusive, There is no specific requirement for an early morning flight from Sligo to Dublin or a late evening flight from Dublin to Sligo. However, the programme requires that timetables on the route should facilitate connections at Dublin Airport for transit passengers, including business travellers, flying between Sligo and destinations in the UK and continental Europe.
A competition was advertised in the European Official Journal on 15 October 1997 to secure an operator for the route under the programme and the results of this competition will be announced shortly.
