Inter-city coach operator Aircoach suspended multiple departures on its flagship 705X Dublin–Belfast route on 10 June and has warned of further disruption through the weekend after Northern Ireland police confirmed fresh demonstrations in Belfast city centre. Although the initial cancellations occurred two days ago, rolling service updates issued late on 11 June indicate that key airport feeder trips at 07:30 and 13:10 on 12 June will not run. The 705X route is an important surface-link for business travellers transferring between Dublin Airport and Belfast. Aircoach typically carries around 1,200 passengers per day on the corridor, many of whom arrive on early-morning transatlantic flights. With Enterprise rail tickets already showing limited availability, corporates with offices on both sides of the border should advise travellers to build in at least two extra hours or consider car-hire alternatives. The protests relate to a controversial new Stormont budget measure on student fees but are expected to stay confined to Belfast city centre. Nonetheless, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has advised that rolling road closures may extend to the M1 approach, potentially delaying coaches that do operate. Aircoach says tickets for cancelled services can be rebooked free of charge within 30 days. Travel managers should check that automated duty-of-care alerts incorporate coach as well as air and rail segments, as many booking tools still treat inter-city buses as “surface sector” add-ons. No Aer Lingus Regional flights between Dublin and Belfast are affected, but fares surged 18 % overnight according to GDS data.
Source: Aircoach service update
