Galway Bay fm newsroom – Last minute efforts are being made to ensure Aran Islanders are not left without an air service.
The tender deadline for a new air service provider has been extended again to the end of the month, as efforts continue to find a suitable contractor.
The tender deadline for the PSO contract has already been extended on several occasions due to an impasse between the owners of Na Minna airport in Inverin, and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Gaeltacht Minister and Galway West/South Mayo TD Sean Kyne says as well as a deadline extension – tenderers for the service will not be penalised if the December 1st start-date for the contract is not feasible.
He says if the successful bidder is available to take over from Aer Arann at the end of September, the new contract will begin on that date.
The current contract with Aer Arann was extended amid problems in procuring a new service provider – and cannot be extended beyond the end of September.
Minister Kyne says any interested service providers must be able to start providing an air service by December 15th at the latest – meaning islanders could still be left without a service for up to nine weeks.