Passengers due to fly from Boston to Shannon on Saturday and Sunday nights had to be flown to Dublin instead and transported to Shannon by road.
A technical issue arose with the Boeing 757-200 aircraft that flew Saturday’s EI-135 service to Boston from Shannon. The jet was later grounded while a replacement part was fitted.
As a result, the 104 passengers due to travel on the return leg to Shannon were accommodated on the EI-138 Boston to Dublin service that evening and transferred the 230km to Shannon by bus on Sunday morning.
Aer Lingus said: “Saturday’s EI-134 was cancelled due to technical issue with the aircraft. All 104 guests were re-accommodated that evening on EI-138 (Boston to Dublin) and were brought to Shannon using surface transport.”
While Aer Lingus secured a larger Boeing 767 jet from Titan Airways to operate Sunday’s EI-135 to Boston, the return leg of that service did not operate.
The Aer Lingus spokesman said: “Flight EI-135 was operated on 20 March, using a hired in aircraft. Flight EI-134 scheduled to operate on 20 March was cancelled. All 128 guests were re-accommodated on flight EI-138 from Boston to Dublin and were brought to Shannon via surface transport.”
The flight was unable to operate because Titan Airways did not have a crew in Boston to fly the return leg.
The carrier had to hire in another aircraft from Titan Airways yesterday (Monday) to operate the Shannon to Boston service.
Flight EI-135 (Shannon to Boston) yesterday (Monday) operated several hours behind schedule while last nights return leg, the EI-134 from Boston to Shannon was also expected to operate with a delay but was due in Shannon this morning (Tuesday).
Aer Lingus said: “Both services were delayed due to a technical fault which necessitated the hiring-in of an additional aircraft.”
One passenger said: “It wasn’t ideal but it could have been a lot worse. We could have ended up in a hotel for the night and miss a day’s work. We had to fly to Dublin and then to Shannon by road. All we were told was there was a technical issue with the plane and that a part needed replacing.”
“There were people moaning and complaining but I suppose these things happen. We got home in the end even though it was all very inconvenient. At least we weren’t left stranded,” he added.
In March 2015, the carrier was heavily criticised for cancelling services between Shannon and Boston for a period of ten days for what the company described as “operational reasons.”
It later emerged the Aer Lingus needed the aircraft that would have operated from Shannon for another service from Dublin.
In December, no service operated between Shannon and Boston for four days because an aircraft was taken out of service for maintenance and no other plane was available.