AER ARANN's chief executive Paul Schutz said yesterday that the airline intended to employ an additional 50 staff this year and double the size of the airline by 2015.

He was speaking at Shannon airport, where Aer Arann and Aer Lingus announced details of a new direct route to Edinburgh in the latest phase of the franchise agreement between the two airlines.

It is the fifth route out of Shannon under the agreement, which replace a number of the Ryanair routes out of Shannon, which ended after Ryanair decided not to renew its five-year deal with the Shannon Airport Authority last year.

Mr Schutz said the additional employees would bring the numbers employed at the airline to 370.

Last November, Aer Arann exited examinership with the help of a new investor, the UK-based transport logistics group Stobart.

Mr Schutz described the examinership process yesterday “as very traumatic”.

“But we have come out of it and I believe that we have turned the corner.”

The company does not publish its financial results, but Mr Schutz said “we are aiming for profitability in 2011”.

“We hope to double the size of the airline in terms of revenues, staff and routes by 2015.”

In response to cutbacks by Government on its Public Service Obligation routes between Dublin and Ireland’s regional airports, Mr Schutz said, “Aer Arann is glad that the Government has brought clarity to the situation”.

Mr Schutz said the new service to Edinburgh, which will operate five times weekly, “improves the direct links between Scotland and Ireland for both business and leisure passengers”.

Recently appointed director of Shannon airport Mary Considine said the airport was anticipating there would be “a slight increase” in passenger numbers in 2011.