Aer Arann has rented a flying boat and is running it for six weeks over the summer months to places like Valentia Island and the Aran Islands.
The flying boat is rented from Antilles Air Boats in the Virgin Islands. The aircraft is owned by Captain Charles Blair, husband to actress Maureen O'Hara. A trip on board the flying boat comes at a high price for each of its forty two passengers at £15 an hour.
The flying boat's a plane which can land on water only.
The plane is built to land on water only, which could pose problems for landing in places with unpredictable weather conditions, such as the Aran Islands. Captain Blair says that the flying boat can land in most places 100% of the time, but acknowledges that in the Aran Islands, they may be only able to land 98% of the time.
In addition to the flying boat, Aer Arann has other plans for expansion which are outlined by the Minister for the Gaeltacht Tom O'Donnell.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 24 August 1976. The reporter is Olivia O'Leary.
