'This route is not a luxury' - Petition launched to protect Donegal Cancer Flights

An online petition has been launched calling for the protection of the Donegal to Dublin Public Service Obligation (PSO) air service.

A new, controversial draft contract proposes changes to flight times, including the potential loss of the afternoon flight and no early morning flight from Carrickfinn, causing concerns for patients travelling to Dublin.

The petition, titled Cosain Eitiltí Ailse Dhún na nGall / Protect Donegal Cancer Flights on Change.org, is penned to Minister for Finance Simon Harris, and wants to guarantee the continuation of genuine same-day return access for cancer patients and others travelling for essential medical appointments.

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Users of the flight say the long bus journeys are not feasible, they can be exhausting, distressing, and in many cases physically impossible. This flight allows people to travel with dignity, comfort, and a measure of ease during already incredibly difficult times.

“Bottom line,” the group behind the petition say, is 'if a Donegal cancer patient cannot travel to Dublin for treatment and return home the same day, the PSO has failed its purpose.”

The new flight contract taking effect in February will mean the loss of the afternoon flight between Carrickfinn and Dublin Airport, it has been confirmed. Emerald Airlines (Aer Lingus Regional) operates the government-funded PSO flights between Donegal and Dublin. This contract was extended to run until February 25, 2026, with a new procurement process underway

The petition reads: “We, the undersigned, call on the Minister to protect and guarantee the Donegal–Dublin PSO air service so it continues to provide genuine same-day return travel, especially for cancer patients and essential medical appointments.

“This route is not a luxury; it is a lifeline. It is funded as a PSO because Donegal is geographically isolated and not adequately served by alternative transport. The Department of Transport has described the service as: “providing twice daily two-way air services facilitating same-day return trips from Donegal.” That is the standard the timetable must meet.

“Proposed timetable changes risk making same-day medical travel impractical, forcing patients into overnight stays, extra cost, and unnecessary strain — a PSO in name only.

“We call on the Minister to guarantee in writing that genuine same-day return medical access is a mandatory, non-negotiable PSO requirement, and that any tender, contract award, or timetable approval must be assessed against that core purpose.

“We want to protect workable flight times that actually deliver same-day access, including early Dublin arrivals, late Donegal returns, and the retention of the current midday service, which must remain within the PSO schedule, to ring-fence the midday flight as an essential PSO connection, and guarantee it will not be removed, downgraded, or shifted outside the PSO in any contract change, timetable revision, or ‘commercial’ reclassification.

“Ensure full transparency and accountability in how PSO timetables are proposed and approved, including publication of the Department’s criteria, the medical-access impact assessment, and the decision rationale, so Donegal patients are not left guessing after the fact.”