The Liverpool to Dublin Air Route
Brian JonesThe Liverpool to Dublin link is one of the three routes Irish Sea routes that have been operated near continuously throughout Liverpool Airport’s existence. The Liverpool to Dublin route has seen great success, but also at times has struggled. The story of this route in many ways reflects the changing aircraft, airlines and fortunes of the airport.
The Early YearsThe first regular air service between Liverpool and Dublin was short lived and commenced soon after the official, 1st July 1933, opening of the Airport. Midland and Scottish Air Ferries was a Hooton Park, Wirral based company run by John Sword, proprietor of a Scottish bus and coach firm. Although they proposed a number of routes from Liverpool Airport, only one service actually started, being a daily Hooton-Speke-Baldonnel service inaugurated on 14th August 1933. The service operated using a three-engined Avro Ten G-ACGF, or ten-seater Airspeed Ferries G-ACBT and G-ACFB. It was proposed to operate onwards to Cork, however there is no evidence that any other than the inaugural publicity flight operated onwards from Dublin. The service ran for 6 weeks, until terminated on 30th September 1933, flights being suspended for the winter months. The service was not restarted the following summer as the company had been taken-over by Hillman’s Airways in the meantime.
The next regular air service between the two Irish Sea ports commenced on 14th September 1936, operated by Aer Lingus in conjunction with Blackpool and West Coast Air Services. Aer Lingus’s DH Dragon EI-ABI ‘Iolar’ operated the first service. The service was operated by the two airlines at a daily, except Sunday, frequency until suspended for the winter months from 24th October 1936.
For 1937 flights operated from 17th May, with most services being flown by the larger and four-engined DH.86’s routing via the Isle of Man. Frequency for much of the summer was twice daily, except Sundays, although in the peak from 1st July to 7th August the frequency was stepped up to three return flights per day. The route was suspended again for the winter on 4th September 1937. At the end of September, Blackpool and West Coast Air Services was re-structured and re-named West Coast Air Services.
Aer Lingus operated the route in 1938 as a direct Liverpool-Dublin service, with separate Dublin-Isle of Man flights. From mid-1939 onwards, Lockheed 14s were sometimes used on the route, representing the very latest technology and a considerable advance on the four-engined wood and fabric DH.86 biplanes.
The Wartime YearsThe outbreak of World War Two led to the suspension of all air services in Britain on 4th September 1939. Nevertheless, the need for an Irish Sea air connection was realised, and after negotiations between Aer Lingus and the British authorities, flights resumed on 23rd October 1939, usually by DH.86, with a basic frequency of daily, except Sunday. On 19th January 1940, the Dublin terminus was transferred from Baldonnel Aerodrome to the new Collinstown Airport, north of Dublin City.
On 6th May 1940, West Coast Air Services resumed operations on the Liverpool-Dublin route in parallel with Aer Lingus, initially using their own DH.86, but later using Railway Air Services aircraft. Faced with competition, the very next day, Aer Lingus used its newly delivered Douglas DC-3 EI-ACA on the route for the first time. Thereafter, Aer Lingus used a mix of DH.86 and DC-3 aircraft on the route, the Lockheed 14s having been sold. For the period 5th August 1940 until 16th November 1942, Manchester Barton replaced Liverpool as the U.K. terminus of the service across the Irish Sea for security reasons. On 14th April 1944 the Aer Lingus service was suspended at the direction of the British authorities because of security restrictions in connection with the build-up of armed forces prior to D-Day, although West Coast were permitted to operate throughout this period. Aer Lingus resumed services on the route 8th September 1944.
With effect from 2nd April 1945, the timings on the daily Aer Lingus service were depart Dublin 1000, arriving Liverpool 1220, leaving Liverpool 1530 to arrive Dublin 1550 (UK local time was double summer time). Rising demand on the route enabled Aer Lingus, with effect from 27th May to increase to twice daily; and from 15th July it reached three daily, except Sundays, with two of the flights operated by Dakota from 30th July.
Post War OperationThe 1946 summer schedule was introduced on 15th April with both Aer Lingus and West Coast each operating two services a day on the route. The Aer Lingus flights departed Dublin at 0845 and 1345, and Liverpool at 1030 and 1530, with a block time of one hour in each direction. The West Coast DH.86 service departed Liverpool at 0920 and 1430 and Dublin at 1045 and 1630, but with a 1 hour 20 minute block time. However, all West Coast Air Service flights were suspended on 30th June 1946 and their assets taken-over by the newly formed, nationalised, British European Airways Corporation. Implementation of the provisions of an Anglo-Irish Air Agreement on 1st August 1946 named Aer Lingus as the sole scheduled operator on the Dublin-Liverpool route and permitted a monopoly to exist for a period of at least ten years. The timetable effective from 12th August shows Aer Lingus operating four return trips a day, all by DH.86. Dublin departures were at 0800 (flight 30), 1115 (flight 32), 1430 (flight 34) and 1745 (flight 36); the returns from Liverpool were at 0930 (flight 31), 1245 (flight 33), 1600 (flight 35) and 1915 (flight 37). The DH.86s were sold at the end of the 1946 summer season, with the Douglas DC-3 becoming the workhorse on the route for the next decade. For the winter 46/47, with effect from 6th October the frequency was reduced to three return flights per day, and reduced again to two flights per day from 1st February 1947. Summer 1947 saw the operation back up to four return flights per day frequency.
Thereafter, the basic pattern settled in at a frequency of 10 per week during winter, with 11 or 12 per week in shoulder periods, with between 27 and 35 flights per week in the peak summer season. By 1948, the flight numbers had been re-allocated in the EI180-189 band, which was later extended to include the 190-199 band (and remained so until March 1989, when for the period April 1989 to January ’90 they were re-allocated in a range EI292-299). By 1954 the weekly frequency reached 42 in the peak, with up to seven flights on some days. In subsequent years the peak frequency was either 38 or 40 return flights. The greatest number was 44 services per week in mid summer 1958, the last year of all Dakota operation. On Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays seven services a day were operated, with departures from Dublin spread throughout the day, starting at 0830 and finishing at 1915 (or 2000 on Saturdays).
Throughout the 1950’s the Dakota was the mainstay of the Aer Lingus fleet, although between 1952 and 1955 some use was made of Bristol 170’s, mostly in an all passenger ‘Wayfarer’ configuration, or mixed passenger/freight layout. As freight did not develop at the anticipated rate, the ‘170s were sold. The pressurised, turbo-prop Fokker F.27 Friendship was phased in on the route early in 1959, offering a leap forward in terms of speed and passenger comfort. The peak summer 1959 frequency fell back slightly to 36 return flights per week, although the greater capacity offered by the Friendship meant that slightly more seats were offered than in the previous year.
Turboprops, Competition and Diversification in the Sixties.The peak year for the Friendship was in 1961, when 42 services were operated each week in mid-Summer. On Sundays, seven services were operated, with the first departure from Dublin at 0810 and the last departure at 2035. The off-peak summer schedules in April, May and October were 13 return flights and the winter frequency 11 return flights per week.
After near a decade and a half of being the sole operator on the route, innovative competition arrived in early 1960. British airline B.K.S. decided upon Liverpool to Dublin as the ideal route on which to experiment with vehicle ferry operations and Bristol 170 Freighter G-AILW commenced service on 25th April 1960. At peak, four return trips daily were offered, with a capacity for two large cars and passengers. In the 1960 season a total of 881 cars were carried from Liverpool and 851 from Dublin along with a total of 106 motorcycles each way. B.K.S. operated the route again in summer 1961, however following financial problems encountered during winter 1961/62, the service did not operate in summer 1962.
Both Aer Lingus and B.K.S. offered the same fares, in September 1961 the single adult fare was £4/14/-, return fare £8/10/-, with an excursion return of £6/11/-. Cars on the B.K.S. Bristol Freighter were charged according to length.
Aer Lingus had been observing the B.K.S. operation and realised the market potential created by increasing car ownership and leisure time in Britain, coupled with a desire to tour abroad. In August 1962 they announced an order for two ATL-98 Carvair conversions. Services with the Carvair commenced between Liverpool and Dublin on 8th May 1963, with aircraft configured to carry 5 cars and 23 passengers. The peak frequency of Carvair operations that summer was 13 flights per week. This was additional to the conventional Friendship operation, which in 1963 reached a peak frequency of 32 return flights per week. Aer Lingus used the Vickers Viscount on Dublin-Liverpool flights on a regular basis for the first time during the peak summer. Aer Lingus carried 67,474 passengers through Liverpool in 1963 and 72,831 in 1964.
Although the car-ferry service was suspended for the winter period, the Carvairs were used on a Monday to Saturday passenger-cum-freight service between Dublin and Liverpool carrying 35 passengers plus palletised cargo. For summer 1964, the car-ferry operation was increased to a frequency of 20 return flights per week in the peak following the delivery of a third Carvair. However, with increasing competition from new drive-on surface ferries, this was reduced to only 10 return trips per week in 1965, and Liverpool was dropped entirely from Aer Lingus’s car-ferry operation in 1966, although the aircraft continued to appear at Liverpool daily on a freight flight.
In fact, 1966 proved to be a year of transition for Aer Lingus on the route, with the phase-out of the Friendships over the 1965/66 winter period. Viscounts operated the summer 1966 schedule, with a peak frequency at 30 per week. Another development was the appearance of a U.K. carrier on the route again when British Eagle commenced a Monday to Friday Viscount 700 service commencing on 4th April 1966. As a result, 1966 proved to be the peak year for passengers carried between the cities, with a grand total for the year of 81,253 passengers – 71,665 carried by Aer Lingus, whose loads had been increasing throughout the ‘Sixties and 5,688 by British Eagle.
The British Eagle service was to only last for a year, being terminated in March 1967 due to unsatisfactory traffic and an inability to agree timetables with Aer Lingus. Cambrian Airways took over operation as the designated British carrier on the route in November 1967. Their operation proved to be longer lasting than that of British Eagle and settled in at a daily frequency using Viscounts. In summer 1968, Aer Lingus operated up to 24 services a week at the peak, whilst Cambrian operated a further 7. By now the Aer Lingus single fare was £8/ 6/-, with summer peak excursion return at £13/ 5/- midweek and £15/16/- weekends. During the 12 months of 1968 a total of 71,931 passengers were carried across the Irish Sea, Aer Lingus carrying 52,460 and Cambrian 19,471.
The Seventies and the Introduction of Passenger JetsThe next significant development was the introduction of jets onto the route, with Aer Lingus deploying the Boeing 737 six days a week with effect from 1st March 1970, whilst Cambrian followed soon afterwards with BAC One-Elevens on Monday through Friday from April 1970. For peak 1970, Aer Lingus operated three types on the route, with six flights per week on One-Elevens, five per week on Boeing 737s and four per week on Viscounts while Cambrian operated five flights per week with One-Elevens and two per week with Viscounts. With the introduction of jets onto the route, passenger loads increased. In 1970 a total of 78,897 passengers were carried, while in 1971 this rose to 80,085 – of which 49,389 were carried by Aer Lingus and 30,696 by Cambrian. In those pre-inflation days, fares remained fairly constant year to year, for summer 1971 Aer Lingus charged £8.00 single, £11.90 midweek return peak season, £16.00 peak weekend return. The Boeing 737-200QC’s acquired by Aer Lingus were used to carry both freight and passenger between Liverpool and Dublin, replacing a pure freight Viscount flight (which in turn had replaced the Carvair freight flight). In season, mushrooms were a regular load inbound from Dublin.
The following year, Aer Lingus’s peak frequencies were further reduced, so from summer 1972 until summer 1980, they operated a daily service, reducing to six per week in winter, all operated by jets – either One-Elevens or Boeing 737s.
With rapid inflation, strikes and fuel shortages, passengers carried during the 1970’s fell significantly over the loads a decade earlier. Annual totals varied greatly year on year: 1972 62,521 passengers; 1973 up at 71,055; 1974 down again to 66,677; 1975 up once again to 72,632, then a progressive fall to 56,632 in 1979. An interesting innovation, boosting passengers carried on the route in the summer seasons of 1975, 1976 and 1977 was a three times weekly ‘Aer Coach’ flights, with a direct coach City of London-Liverpool Airport connecting to a Liverpool-Dublin flight, and vice versa. The lower London-Dublin fare offered as a result was targeted at students and budget minded travellers. This operation broke with convention and used flight numbers EI001/002 for the mid-afternoon timed flights.
From April 1975, British Airways (who had taken over the Cambrian operation) reverted to an all Viscount schedule. At the end of October 1978 BA handed over all their Liverpool routes to British Midland, including the Dublin connection. BMA also used Viscounts on the route, but were unable to make it a success and dropped the route in January 1980. Unfortunately, Aer Lingus and British Midland were unable to work together to develop the route, similar flight timings splitting the market rather than generating new traffic.
Low Point and Commuter InnovationsAlthough flights operated at the same frequency as in previous years, loads in 1980 fell sharply to a new low, at 26,830. Aer Lingus had a bad year, with a five week technicians strike grounding flights throughout June and fuel supply problems in Ireland later in the year. For winter 1980/81 the Thursday flights was cut-out, and for the next three seasons, summer 1981, winter 1981/82 and summer 1982 just five flights per week operated, mainly by One-Elevens, with no flight on Monday or Thursdays. Total passengers loads continued to fall, as fares continued to rise. The 1981 annual passenger total fell further to a new all-time low of just 24,538.
Whilst Aer Lingus passenger numbers had been declining, there was clear potential in the Liverpool-Dublin route. On 14th December 1981 Jersey European Airways commenced a twice-daily ‘commuter’ return service, using 18-seat unpressurised turbo-prop Embraer Bandeirante or de Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft. Although the fares charged had to be the same as those offered by Aer Lingus at £50 single with excursion fares between £56 and £81 return, the J.E.A. operation was quite successful, with the increased level of service frequency winning quite an amount of traffic back onto the route. The 1982 passenger total recovered a little to 25,968 with the summer frequency being five jet flights by Aer Lingus and twelve return flights per week by J.E.A.
For winter 1982/83 the frequency of Aer Lingus flights reached their nadir, with just four return services per week on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Aer Lingus’s operation on the route was at crisis point. The continuing decline in traffic meant that the service was only barely covering its cash operating costs, so could clearly no longer be sustained. Despite using turbo-prop, unpressurised aircraft, the benefits derived from higher frequency of service as demonstrated by J.E.A. were not lost on Aer Lingus. A critical problem faced by the National carrier was that their cost structure was not appropriate for smaller ‘commuter’ aircraft operation. However, the pilots and cabin crew offered to accept new pay and working conditions, which brought costs into line with typical commuter operations. So Aer Lingus, in a bold move away from an all-jet operation commenced an eleven-month evaluation with a leased 30-seat capacity Short 3-30 aircraft to test the new service concept on the Liverpool-Dublin route.
The new twice-daily service Monday to Friday and one return service each on a Saturday and Sunday commenced on 1st May 1983. During peak summer the frequency was increased to 14 per week, with J.E.A. operating a further 12 flights – 26 return flights per week being a frequency reminiscent of the mid 1960’s! Unfortunately, J.E.A. became a victim of Aer Lingus’s success and were forced to suspend operations on the route on 30th September 1983. Despite using small turbo-prop aircraft, traffic had risen on the route in 1983, with 27,270 passengers being carried that year.
In 1984, Aer Lingus acquired a fleet of four brand new 35-seat Short 3-60s for use on the Dublin-Liverpool and other routes with similar traffic density between Dublin and the U.K. These services, from 7th May 1984, were operated by a wholly owned Aer Lingus subsidiary, Aer Lingus Commuter, with Ray Wilson as Chief Executive. Although not pressurised, and therefore prone to turbulence in poor weather, a very positive aspect of the Short 3-60 operation was the return to the personalised friendly service that applied in the DC-3 days. With the small Aer Lingus Commuter staff group, dedication and enthusiasm was strong and the cabin staff could soon get to know regular customers.
For the five years, March 1983 to March 1988, the frequency of operation remained the same, with 12 return flights per week in winter, 14 return flights in summer, providing good morning and evening flight timings. Fairly constant loads rewarded the commitment shown to the route in years of recession and low tourist interest in Irish holidays (depressed due to the ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland). Annual passenger totals for this period were: 1984 25,442; 1985 down somewhat to 22,711 (the lowest ever published carryings on the route since the 1940s – although a 6 week clerical strike within Aer Lingus may have adversely affected the figures); 1986 up a little at 24,968 and for 1987 up again with a 23% increase to 30,755. One positive change in this period was the move into a new terminal at Liverpool Airport in April 1986, which was good for passengers and considerably reduced taxi-time by aircraft.
Aer Lingus celebrated their 50th anniversary of flying on the route on 14th September 1986, using their genuine, and now rare, airworthy DH.84 Dragon painted as EI-ABI ‘Iolar’ – their first aircraft, to publicise the event.
Competition, Growth and Political InterventionFor summer 1988 a similar pattern of passenger flights to that of previous years was envisaged. However, with only short notice (due to aircraft requirements being re-arranged) the Liverpool service was reduced to just once daily – just seven return flights per week, with effect from 27th March 1988, this despite the much-increased loads of the previous summer! In the face of adverse passenger and airport comment, the use of a Gill Air Short 3-30 to operate on the route twice daily from 2nd May was negotiated.
One effect of Aer Lingus temporarily losing sight of their commitment to the route was that a new Irish airline, Ryanair, became interested. With little advance notice they commenced daily, weekday flights on 26th May with BAC One-Eleven jet aircraft, the inaugural flight operated by EI-BSZ ‘Spirit of Dublin’. The published Aer Lingus fares for summer ’88 were £80 single, with restricted excursion returns of £61, £77 or £101. Ryanair entered the fray with a £39 single and a no restriction return fare of £49 early summer season or £59 high season. Aer Lingus’s immediate response to the challenge of competition was the reduction of their own fares and from 1st June introducing an extra, evening, One-Eleven rotation of their own, together with new timings for their twice daily Short 3-60 flights, to cater for the increased passenger demand thus created. In the peak summer month of August 1987 there had been 14 Short 3-60 return flights per week and a total passenger figure for the month of 3,839. Just 12 months later, in August 1988, there were 26 return flights per week (12 by jets, 14 by Short 3-60) that carried 12,253 passengers during the month – a whopping 214% increase! After years of relative stagnation, the annual passenger carryings in 1988 more than doubled to 66,460 – which included only 6 months of Ryanair/Aer Lingus head-to-head competition.
Services were seasonally cut back by both airlines for winter 1988/89 to 17 return flights per week, 12 by jet and 5 by turbo-prop. Aer Lingus operated on weekday mornings with a Short 3-60 and an evening One-Eleven jet flight seven days a week, while Ryanair operated lunch-time flights on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday with a Sunday evening flight, all by One-Eleven.
For summer 1989, flight frequency rose to a peak of 28 return flights per week. Aer Lingus with three flights per day, the morning and mid-evening flights by Short 3-60, the midday service by their newly acquired Fokker 50 aircraft in March, April, May and June, with Boeing 737 or One-Elevens from July 10th. The Ryanair timetable continued the winter pattern until June 1st when with Thursday and Saturday flights re-instated, the operation became daily, with a lunchtime flight Monday to Friday, Saturday morning and afternoons on Sundays. The increased choice of flights, lower fares and greater public awareness brought further passengers onto the route. Loads for the month of August increased 20% to 15,379 passengers. The full summer schedule operated through until the end of October, with no ‘shoulder’ season reduction. The winter 1989/90 schedule showed little reduction, with 23 flights per week, although capacity was reduced, with Aer Lingus using Short3-60s daily in the morning (except Sunday) and evening (except Saturday), supplemented by jet services at lunchtime on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Ryanair’s weekday service continued with a midday slot, but now using their new ATR-42 pressurised turbo-prop aircraft, together with a Saturday morning and Sunday evening One-Eleven jet flight. Competition was certainly healthy for the route; as for the first time the figures in 1989 topped the magic 100,000 mark by some 10,000 passengers.
However, just as plans for the winter schedules were published, the Irish Government entered the arena with legislation to minimise, what they viewed as damaging head-to-head competition between the two Irish carriers. The proposal of Seamus Brennan, Irish Minister of Tourism and Transport involved Aer Lingus ceasing services on the Dublin to Liverpool route, while Ryanair would cease flights into Manchester by 1st April 1990 for a period of three years. This decision caused great concern at Liverpool Airport as they stood to loose their principal carrier on the route with around two-thirds share of the seats available. Aer Lingus did not continue to the 24th March as proposed, finishing their services from Liverpool on 14th January 1990, not giving the travel trade much warning and re-routing advance booked passengers through Manchester. Short 3-60 EI-BPD operated the last service on Sunday evening flight EI299.
Life without Aer LingusFollowing the September announcement from Dublin, Manx Airlines had declared an interest in filling the gap left by Aer Lingus’s forced departure, with an intended start date of 25th March 1990, the day after Aer Lingus were expected to cease their service. After a series of hastily arranged meetings, the period between 15th January and 24th March was operated jointly by Ryanair and Manx, usually with a Manx Short 3-60 (or a Ryanair One-Eleven) on the morning rotation, a Ryanair lunchtime rotation using the ATR-42 and an evening Ryanair One-Eleven flight which only offered partial capacity as it called en route Dublin to London and vice-versa. The suddenness of the change of operators produced poorer than anticipated figures for both Manx and Ryanair, however by April with the Grand National Meeting, loads picked up. After some changes, the summer peak schedule settled down at 31 flights per week, 14 by One-Eleven jet, 17 by turbo-prop. At various times during the summer season Ryanair used One-Elevens, ATR-42 or HS.748 equipment, while Manx used Short 3-60 or Viscounts. For winter 1990/91 Manx substituted their new BAe.ATPs on some flights, while Ryanair used One-Elevens to replace their ATR-42 at times. However some flights were cancelled due to the Middle East crisis and fuel shortages. By the end of 1990, with an annual total of 111,640 passengers on the route, it was clear that the departure of Aer Lingus had not had the damaging effect that many had feared.
Summer 1991 established Ryanair as the dominant carrier on the route, with Manx’s share diminishing each successive year. Manx operated a mid-morning service daily Monday to Saturday mostly by BAe.ATP with two flights on Sunday using Short 3-60s, while Ryanair operated three flights on weekdays, one on Saturday and two on Sunday – all using One-Elevens, marking a great increase in capacity. Ryanair Holidays, offering inclusive deals with flights, hotels and car-hire was just one of the sales tools used to increase passenger numbers. The winter 1991/92 season brought a considerable reduction in Ryanair flights down to just two per weekday, with all flights calling as a stop en route Dublin to Luton. On Saturdays this led to the unusual situation with a return flight and an evening Dublin outbound only service. The route continued to grow with (in rounded numbers) Manx carrying 43,000 and Ryanair 140,000 passengers in the twelve months on 1991, a year-on-year increase of 35.6%. Summer 1992 frequencies were similar to the previous year. Ryanair’s flights all operated direct, with no onward flights to Stansted or Luton. Winter season 1992/93 though did see Manx dropping down to just four flights weekly, all operated by Short 3-60, while Ryanair operated either two or three flights on weekdays, but just the one on Saturdays. This was an increase in capacity as all winter flights were now exclusively for Liverpool traffic.
The year 1993 proved to be the best yet on the route. Although the high season Manx schedule saw a decrease in capacity with only four BAe.ATP and two Short 3-60 rotations weekly, Ryanair now operated three return flights each weekday, with two each on Saturday and Sunday. They also reacted flexibly to demand with a number of extra flights throughout the summer. The winter 1993/94 marked the introduction by Ryanair of their Boeing 737-200s, with a 130 passenger capacity, replacing the 104 seat BAC.111-500 series on some flights. For the first time the 1993 annual passenger carryings on the route passed the 200,000 mark, reaching around 205,838 – of which around 25,000 were carried by Manx Airlines.
Summer 1994 produced a fight-back by Manx, with a return to a daily service by BAe.ATP not only on weekdays, but also on two flights on both Saturdays and Sundays. Ryanair meanwhile planned three rotations each weekday using Boeing 737-200s and two on both a Saturday and Sunday using One-Elevens. A total of 28 flights per week, however due to increased competition with Ryanair back on the Dublin-Manchester route, as the summer season progressed both Manx and Ryanair cut back capacity. Indeed the over capacity between North West England and Ireland forced Manx to reconsider the viability of the route, eventually withdrawing their service on 30th October 1994. At the year end Ryanair had carried 169,936 passengers and the route a total of 190,824, a fall of around 7%.
Ryanair RulesWith the withdrawal of Manx, it was to be ten years before Ryanair were to be challenged by competition again. Although the trend in passengers carried was generally upward, there were times when Ryanair restricted growth, not developing the route to its full potential.
Without competition, Ryanair’s winter 1994/95 schedules reduced to two flights per day, but with a late morning and mid afternoon timings the all-important day-return facility was no longer feasible. Less than optimal timings continued into the summer 1995 timetable, with three rotations on Monday, Thursday and Friday and just two on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. All flights were now flown using the larger capacity Boeing 737-200s. Ryanair encouraged passengers with a special £45 return fare available only through travel agents. Annual totals began to slide with 165,797 in 1995 and 155,953 in 1996 – this despite a return during summer peak to three return flights on weekdays, although still without the vital early morning and a mid evening rotation. 1997 recorded a 10% growth to 170,846 in part due to a early morning and a mid evening flight, with a very similar figure of 169,889 the following year.
A massive 23% increase was recorded in 1999 bringing the annual passenger total back above the 200,000 mark to 208,914 just a little over the previous record set in 1993. Although the year started with 16 flights per week, for the summer season Ryanair moved one of their Manchester rotations to Liverpool apparently due to a dispute over charges. So for the summer season there were 25 rotations per week, 4 each weekday plus 2 on Saturdays and 3 on Sundays. For the winter this was reduced to 20 rotations per week.
The withdrawal of the extra summer flight during 2000 and the withdrawal of the early morning departure, showed with a 19.5% drop in passengers, back to 168,241. The summer schedule with 19 rotations was even a reduction on the previous winter season (no Saturday evening flight). For a while, December 2000 to February, the service was down to 17 rotations per week. Summer 2001 was little different – still no early morning flight and a total of 20 rotations per week. 2001 ended with an increase of just 650 passengers over the previous year. A new feature during the year was the occasional substitution (though mainly for operational rather than load reasons) of the new Boeing 737-800s on the service.
Summer 2002 brought a whiff of common sense in the planning department with the early rotation reinstated and lone-behold, passenger loads increased by 18% to 199,337. The frequency of flights remained constant at 20 per week throughout the year, basically 3 daily, except Saturday with 2. A new feature on the Winter 02/03 schedule was the regular use of a Boeing 737-800 on the evening rotation. During summer 2003 additional flights brought the total to 23 rotations per week, rising to 24 per week for the winter. With greater choice of timings, so additional passengers were attracted and another massive rise, this time of 22%, brought the annual total to 242,511.
Return of Aer LingusThe success that Ryanair was having on the route was being watched by Aer Lingus who wanted a greater share of the Irish Sea market. As a result they returned to route with a single afternoon timed rotation for the final three months of 2004. For the year Ryanair’s figures showed a 5% reduction to 229,843 while Aer Lingus carried 7,869 to make 237,712 – only a small decrease for the route over 2004. The following year saw competition working to increase, not only Aer Lingus’s loads, but also those of Ryanair! The market expanded to break the 300,000 passengers per annum on the route for the first time. Ryanair, at long last, replaced their noisy, older, 130-seater Boeing 737-200s with their newer 189-seater Boeing 737-800s on all Dublin flights from 31st March 2005. Also from this date, most rotations originate at their Liverpool base rather than at Dublin. As frequency for the summer remained unchanged at 20 rotations, this represented a great increase in capacity. Aer Lingus were also in the throws of fleet renewal; as a result from late March Airbus A.320s replaced the Boeing 737-500s on weekdays, although the Boeing 737-500s continued on weekend flights until the end of October. At the end of the year, Ryanair had carried 262,784 passengers, up 14%, while Aer Lingus contributed 64,410 – a total of 327,294 passengers, and a new route record!
However, Aer Lingus were not happy with projected yields, and despite April 2006 being their second best month with 6,886 pax, they flew their last flight on the route on 25th June 2006. Although Aer Lingus's connections onto the U.S. were promoted, the once daily frequency did not offer good connections, with Aer Lingus unwilling to commit to the investment required to use an A.320 twice daily with desirable morning and evening timings. Despite no competition for half the year, publicity campaigns clearly continued to stimulate the route, Ryanair carrying a record 292,719 passengers by the end of the year, the route total being 324,053 just a little short of the previous year’s record.
Ryanair solo once againFor 2007 Ryanair carried a very similar total number of passengers to the previous year, at 291,245; although without Aer Lingus’s contribution, total passengers on the route were down.
Summer 2008 showed no change in frequency, with 20 rotations per week, 3 Sunday to Friday and 2 on Saturdays; although this did rise on 2nd July to 23 per week with an additional flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For some the first rotation of the day was perhaps 45 minutes early, while the evening rotation is a few hours too late, indeed the evening flight from Dublin was the last departure of the day! Winter 08/09 and summer `09 saw 21 flights per week, 3 per day. Winter 2009/10 an increase to 24 flights per week, with extra flights on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A return to 3 daily, making 21 flights per week summer 2010, then 24 flights weekly winter 2010/11 and summer '11. Annual loads though have continued at a similar rate year-on-year, with in 2008 290,484; 2009 284,989 and despite the March ash cloud cancellations, in 2010 a slight recovery back up to 286,819.
The first six-month stats for 2011 were very encouraging, rising from 135,159 in 2010 to 160,859 in 2011, with the total for the whole of 2011 at 308,802; over the 300,000 mark for the first time since 2006 and setting a new annual record for Ryanair. This rise in passengers seems to go against rather odd flight programming, with, since winter 2010/11 on four weekdays the first of three Liverpool to Dublin direction flights not operating until 4pm, although there is a day return flight from Dublin available. Frequency has crept up, with the summer 2011 programme calling for 24 rotations, with 3 return flights Monday to Thursday and 4 on Friday to Sunday. Winter 2011/12 programmed 26 return flights per week: 4 daily except Tues and Weds with 3. From late March 2012 a slight reduction back to 24 rotations a week, the exact same frequencies/days as in 2011, although importantly, with different timings and a day-return facility daily from both Dublin and Liverpool restored.
The recent few years, and news of Aer Lingus's return (added May 2015)
To briefly bring upto date: 2011 308,802; 2012 277,000 (rounded); 2013 272,994; 2014 276,788. Although the frequency remained roughly the same 2012 and 2013, flights were not always at the best time for travel with little choice in the morning and afternoons, but two very late night rotations on some days. 2015 is certain to see the figures decrease with only two rotations every day in June and July, although returning from 14 rotations per week back up to 21 (3 flights daily) for August. Ryanair certainly seemed to be taking this major Irish Sea connection for granted and clearly were running the route below potential. An opportunity seized by Aer Lingus, who announced in May 2015 that they would again be flying from Liverpool, using Airbus A.320s, from Friday 23rd October 2015 with 16 flights per week timed to provide good onward connections to/from the USA from LJLA with excellent 'headline' fares offered. No doubt Ryanair will respond, which should hopefully see record numbers of passengers flying between Liverpool and Dublin again in 2016, and the 2005 route record (the previous last full year of competition between EIN and RYR) shattered.
Concluding thoughts (as written August 2011)
During near 80 years, the Liverpool to Dublin route has witnessed the change from biplanes to turboprops to jets, back to commuter turboprops and then the return to ever-larger new generation jets. From an 8-seater biplane, to 189-seater Boeings. Many of notable airline names in British and Irish aviation have flown on the route: Aer Lingus, BKS, British Eagle, Cambrian, British Airways, British Midland, Manx and Ryanair. It has witnessed too, changes in terminal (1939, 1986 and 2002) and even airfield at Dublin (1940) and at in a sense at Liverpool (1986) too, while finally the route has witnessed the phenomenal increase in popularity of air travel from little over a handful of passengers in a year to over 300,000 passengers per annum.
There are few air routes that in 2012 can boast of 79 years of near continuous operation, even through through WWII; Liverpool John Lennon Airport should be proud of its Irish Sea air route heritage and connection with the Irish capital. It is worth noting that 2013 will mark 80 years of operation and remarkably 25 years of Ryanair on the route, an excuse hopefully for more publicity and promotion.
Credits:The genesis of this route history was a well researched article in ‘Irish Air Letter’ February 1987 which formed the basis of my articles in ‘09/27’ Summer 1988, Spring 1990 and Summer 2008. Thanks are due to the records published in Flypast, EGGP, NWAN, 09/27, British Independent Airlines, Phil Butler’s Liverpool Airport book, Eddie Quinn’s statistics folder and the official CAA Statistics. Note that statistics quoted by the CAA, the Airlines and the Airports can vary considerably, so treat comparisons from different sources with caution eg Ryanair on their web site usually quote passenger numbers booked, rather than those actually carried! Airport and CAA figures can differ, depending on how diverted and transit passengers are counted.
