A contract is due to be signed today which will see a helicopter service take over flights between Galway and the Aran Islands - ending 45 years of plane flights between the two locations.
Aer Arann has operated the plane service from the airstrip at Inverin, close to the ferry port at Rossaveal.
However, the Gaeltacht Minister Joe McHugh recently announced plans to sign a new PSO contract with Executive Helicopters Ltd to operate a daily service to the islands, by helicopter, from Galway Airport at Carnmore.
Up to 200 people travelled from the Aran Islands to Castlebar, Co Mayo this morning to protest outside the Taoiseach's constituency office over planned changes to the air service connecting the islands with the mainland.
@nanorfitzy @AislingJack we're asking Enda Kenny to reconsider scrapping Aer Arann #saveaerarann #aranislands pic.twitter.com/GC4rEDGgk8
— Padraig Jack (@padraigjack) September 9, 2015
They want the Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Joe McHugh to reverse the decision.
Enda Kenny's constituency colleague, Minister Michael Ring insists the service is merely being changed, not cancelled - but he's going to look into it:
Campaigners say winter is a critical time when they are "extremely dependent" on the Aer Arann service.
At the moment, there are two scheduled flights in the morning and one in the afternoon to Inis Meáin.
Local businessman, Tarlach de Blacam has been campaigning to keep the air services in operation and told Newstalk the air service is crucial for daily life and business.
"We're 15 miles offshorei n one of the remotest places in Europe," he said.
"The three Aran islands together comprise 1,500 people -a small town in Ireland - 90% of offshore islands in Europe have subsidised services.
"We have no confidence that a helicopter service is going to work. The money that's available could not provide the helicopter that the coastguards use that might possibly be able to serve us.
The Department has been attempting to cut this service completely for the last three years. It's important to point out that the
Minister for Transport has just announced €40 million for services to Dublin to Donegal and Dublin to Kerry and the cut here is in the region of €30,000."
