A deal between Irish carrier Aer Lingus and Europe’s largest regional airline, Flybe, could take the sting out of flying to key north American destinations for passengers in the Highlands.
The codeshare agreement, which takes effect immediately, allows passengers to book flights from Inverness to the US cities of New York, Boston and Orlando, as well as Toronto in Canada, with a connecting fligh in Dublin on Aer Lingus’ website.
The Inverness to Dublin leg will be operated by Flybe, while the transatlantic stage will be flown by Aer Lingus. However, as the flights are tied-in with each other, passengers’ hold luggage can be checked in at Inverness and will not need to be collected until the final destination is reached.
The new pact also means passengers will be able to skip lengthy queues at immigration control in the US by getting pre-clearance at Dublin Airport.
A ticket for an adult wishing to travel one-way to any of the north American destinations a month from now would cost about £500.
Inglis Lyon, managing director of Inverness Airport operator HIAL, said: “This is excellent news for Highland air passengers. It means that passengers can now book trips to the United States and Canada using the Aer Lingus website with just one seamless stop in Dublin. Aer Lingus is a fast growing airline with an exciting long haul route network. We are delighted that Inverness is now part of that network.”
Exeter-based Flybe, which last month started operating a daily route from Inverness to the Irish capital, in June announced its first pre-tax profit in four years. The airline said it made a pre-tax profit of £8.1million in the first quarter of 2014, compared with losses of more than £40million for all of 2013.