Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus chief executive, said: " Aer Lingus's strategic intent to develop Dublin Airport as a hub between Europe and the US, to deliver greater connectivity and aviation jobs, is significantly boosted by today's announcement." Conor McCarthy, Emerald Airlines founder and chief executive, said: "This is a major development for Irish aviation and the wider tourism industry. The combined strengths of both airlines will allow us to offer optimised connectivity from popular cities and routes across Ireland, the UK and beyond. "As we add additional aircraft to our fleet we will be recruiting more than 400 new staff members – a great boost for the industry which has been so badly impacted by the pandemic." Following the collapse of Stobart Air, Aer Lingus took over six routes until at least the end of March 2022. British Airways' franchise, BA CityFlyer, is also operating four additional routes for the rest of the summer 2021 period.