Aer Lingus saw its revenue spike 7.1 per cent in the three months to the end of June, as the airline readies itself to compete with Ryanair for short-haul passenger growth over the remainder of the year.
The jump in revenue comes following a significant growth in its long-haul services. However, profits fell slightly during the period on higher costs.
Long-haul fare revenue alone grew by 24.4 per cent to €172.5m as the airline pocketed €468.9m during the second quarter. Aer Lingus put the result down to more passengers and improved income from fares.
With short-haul revenue being down slightly, chief executive Stephen Kavanagh said that he expects the usual competition from rival Ryanair over the next six months.
"We’ve been meeting the challenge head-on for the past 30 years and both airlines have benefited from the competition,” said Kavanagh, as reported by the Irish Examiner.
"We expect nothing other than intense competition from Ryanair, but we have the ability to reduce our unit costs and price competitively. Consumers will see real value on the short haul travel experience," he added.
