What Emerald Airlines does

Emerald Airlines (Ireland) Limited is a privately held Irish regional airline incorporated in 2020, headquartered at Dublin Airport, which commenced revenue operations on 26 February 2022 with a Donegal-Dublin inaugural flight. The company is the exclusive franchise operator of Aer Lingus Regional under a ten-year agreement signed in 2021, with all Aer Lingus Regional-branded services distributed through aerlingus.com and select routes also bookable via ba.com under British Airways codeshare.

The airline operates a standardized fleet of ATR72-600 turboprop aircraft seating up to 72 passengers, which it describes as the most fuel-efficient regional aircraft with 40% lower CO2 emissions than regional jets. Beyond the core franchise service, Emerald offers ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) capacity solutions to other airlines and direct private charter services, while also operating a government-funded Public Service Obligation (PSO) route between Donegal and Dublin. By Summer 2023 the network spanned 30 routes and 20 destinations across Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands, and France, with three operational bases (Dublin, Belfast, Cork) and a fleet of 13+ aircraft.

The business runs on three revenue streams — franchise flying (booked and ticketed through Aer Lingus), ACMI managed-service contracts with airline partners, and ad-hoc private charter transactions — supplemented by the Donegal-Dublin PSO subsidy. Pricing is transaction-based, with fares starting at €29.99 on the shortest PSO route and rising to €49.99 on longer cross-border services. Distribution is channel-led via the Aer Lingus/IAG platform; direct sales cover only charter bookings. Headcount sits at 251-500 with an aviation-experienced management team, and the company has been recognized as the #1 on-time airline to and from the UK in 2024 by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Name

Emerald Airlines

Legal name

Emerald Airlines (Ireland) Limited

Website

https://emeraldairlines.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Emerald Airlines is an Irish regional carrier operating as the exclusive Aer Lingus Regional franchisee, connecting Ireland with the UK, France, and Channel Islands using a modern ATR72-600 turboprop fleet, with additional ACMI and charter services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Airline Services

NAICS

Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation (481111), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Turboprop Regional Airlines (THABACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Essential Air Service (EAS) & Subsidized Regional Operators (THABACAC), Charter Airlines & ACMI / Wet-Lease Passenger Operators (TLAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Regional airline services
• Franchise passenger flying
• ACMI wet-lease capacity
• Private charter flights
• Public service obligation routes

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Franchise Operations (Aer Lingus Regional): Operates franchise flying under Aer Lingus Regional brand, connecting the island of Ireland with UK regions and Channel Islands. Revenue generated through flight operations under the franchise agreement.
2. ACMI Flying: Provides aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance solutions to airline partners requiring additional capacity coverage on a short or long-term basis.
3. Private Charter: Offers private charter services on ATR72-600 aircraft for sports teams, group travel, and special events. Work closely with clients to provide tailored in-flight service.
4. Public Service Obligation (PSO) Routes: Operates government-funded PSO air route between Donegal and Dublin, providing essential air link in the absence of motorway or rail network in the region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Emerald Airlines is a regional airline that operates scheduled passenger services under a ten-year exclusive franchise as Aer Lingus Regional, connecting Ireland (Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Donegal) with the UK, France and the Channel Islands using a modern ATR72-600 turboprop fleet. In addition to scheduled franchise flights, the airline sells ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) wet-lease capacity to airline partners and offers private charter services for groups, sports teams and corporate travel.

Product overview

Emerald Airlines operates as a regional airline offering three interconnected service lines: Aer Lingus Regional (franchise flying under the Aer Lingus brand), ACMI Flying (aircraft capacity solutions), and Private Charter services. All operations utilize a modern fleet of ATR72-600 turboprop aircraft seating up to 72 passengers. The airline primarily serves routes connecting Ireland (Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Donegal) with the UK, France, and Channel Islands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aer Lingus Regional (Franchise Flying) Scheduled regional passenger flying operated under the Aer Lingus Regional brand, providing high-frequency connectivity between the island of Ireland and UK regions and the Channel Islands. Seats are marketed and booked through the Aer Lingus and British Airways platforms, with passengers able to earn and redeem Avios points.
• ACMI Flying Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) wet-lease capacity solutions delivered with the ATR72-600 fleet for airline partners requiring short- or long-term additional regional coverage. Tailored to specific partner operational requirements.
• Private Charter Private charter services for sports teams, corporate groups and special events on the ATR72-600 (up to 72 seats), with in-flight service tailored to the specific client and bookings handled by the direct charter sales team.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% less CO2 emissions compared to regional jets
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Aer LinguscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 July 2021Ten-year franchise agreement making Emerald Airlines the exclusive operator of Aer Lingus Regional services. Emerald Airlines operates high-frequency regional services under the Aer Lingus brand, connecting the island of Ireland with UK regions and Channel Islands. Emerald Airlines flies under Aer Lingus flight numbers and brand.
• ATR (Avions de Transport Régional)coreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal Maintenance Agreement (GMA) with aircraft manufacturer ATR providing access to component spares pool including industry-leading aircraft components and propellers. Agreement guarantees components will be maintained to highest standards by manufacturers.
• SOLAS & Technological University DublinsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance Apprenticeship. Combined classroom training in Shannon and Dublin with hands-on training at Emerald Airlines Engineering and Maintenance Facility at Dublin Airport.
• Irish Government (Department of Transport)coreOthersPSO (Public Service Obligation) air contract between Donegal and Dublin. Government-funded essential air link providing connectivity in absence of motorway or rail network in the North-West region.
• Belfast City AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership making Emerald Airlines the largest operator at Belfast City Airport. Partnership includes route development, capacity expansion, and joint marketing initiatives.
• Cork AirportsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpansion partnership for network growth from Cork Airport including new routes to Glasgow, Bristol, Nice, and Santiago de Compostela.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aurigny Air Services: Channel Islands regional carrier (Guernsey-based) operating scheduled turboprop routes into Gatwick and other UK airports. Same regional turboprop niche and partial Channel Islands overlap as Emerald.
• Eastern Airways: UK regional operator of turboprop regional services connecting underserved city pairs (Humberside, Teesside, Southampton, etc.). Comparable regional turboprop model; Emerald is actively recruiting from Eastern's pilot pool, indicating direct functional overlap.
• Blue Islands: Channel Islands-based regional airline operating scheduled turboprop services between Jersey/Guernsey and the UK. Closely comparable to Emerald's Channel Islands and short-haul UK exposure, with similar PSO-style government contracts.
• Binter Canarias: Spanish regional carrier operating turboprop inter-island routes in the Canary Islands under franchise/airline-partner models. Closest functional analog to Emerald's franchise + turboprop + dense regional network combination.
• Loganair: UK-headquartered regional airline operating scheduled turboprop services across Scotland, Ireland, and Northern England under its own brand. Most direct functional peer to Emerald: similar fleet type, regional point-to-point network, comparable Manchester/Birmingham/Edinburgh-vs-Scotland/NI overlap.
• Widerøe: Norwegian regional turboprop operator flying short-runway regional routes under Norwegian government PSO contracts with a Dash 8/Q400 fleet. Comparable turboprop + PSO + regional-network economics to Emerald.

Emerging players

• Flybe (relaunched): Restarted UK regional airline re-entering regional city-pair flying post the 2023 collapse that opened the door for Emerald. Direct competitor pursuing the same ex-Flybe Ireland-UK regional corridors Emerald has captured.
• Luxair: Small European regional/point-to-point airline operating turboprop and regional jet services from Luxembourg across Western Europe. Comparable scale and partial overlap on Ireland-UK-continental European regional flying.

Regional players

• Air Corsica: French regional carrier operating scheduled services connecting Corsica to mainland France with government-supported territorial continuity obligations. Comparable regional turboprop/regional-jet + government PSO-style contract structure, although in a different jurisdiction.

Others

• BMI Regional (legacy / Regional Connectivity): Legacy UK regional operator that previously held franchise flying arrangements and served overlapping Ireland-UK regional corridors (now substantially diminished). Provides comparable historical reference for the franchise-regional model Emerald operates under Aer Lingus Regional.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emerald-airlines

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emerald Airlines