The Big Interview

'We're pulling all the levers to get drivers, but every bus operator is recruiting too' - Dervla McKay, Aircoach

The managing director of Aircoach says business is now bouncing back but that it’s very difficult to recruit enough drivers, as with the unsociable hours involved, the pandemic has made people reassess their priorities

Dervla McKay, chief executive of Aircoach: ‘We've seen a particular change in travel patterns.’ Picture: Fergal Phillips

In a small office in the Airport Business Park in Dublin, Dervla McKay is reflecting on how it was luck, if not quite fate, that led to her becoming managing director of Aircoach.

The Donegal native, who graduated from Ulster University in Derry with a degree in business studies and human resources, first started working with First Group, the Aberdeen-based transport firm, in 2005 and has remained with the company since.

“I spent 12 years ...