FRIDAY was a good day for Kerry Airport.

First it was revealed that Ryanair will continue its Kerry-Faro route this summer. Then a new contract for the Public Service Obligation (PSO) air route between Kerry and Dublin for the next four years was announced.

The contract will be operated by Stobart and they will also operate the route between Donegal and Dublin.

The current PSO contract for these two routes expires at the end of this month and the new contract will operate from February 1, 2018 until January 31, 2022.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin, welcomed the announcement; “This continued service is to be very much welcome and is a vital economic link for all industries, particularly tourism, in the region. I want to thank the dedicated team at Kerry airport for their continued hard work, I also want to thank the Department for continuing this vital subvention. This is further evidence of the Government’s key priority in investing in rural Ireland, and providing equal opportunity for economic growth across all parts of the country.”