The recently established airline Jetmagic has accused Aer Lingus of copying its strategy by announcing three new routes out of Cork Airport.

From next March, Aer Lingus is to fly twice weekly from Cork to Barcelona, Milan and Alicante. These three routes are also offered by Jetmagic.

In a statement, Jetmagic chief executive Mr Patrick Raftery said: "Well they do say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Aer Lingus may try to copy what we have achieved but cannot compete on our proven service and style."

He added that after six months in business it appeared Aer Lingus had taken Jetmagic's lead and announced "a somewhat predictable new route selection out of Cork".

An Aer Lingus spokesman rejected the Jetmagic comments and said competition was the lifeblood of the airline industry. "We have been planning and looking at these routes for some time, without any reference to Jetmagic or anyone else for that matter."

He said the reaction of Jetmagic was "sour grapes" and it should be borne in mind that routes developed by Aer Lingus over the years later attracted interest from Ryanair.

However, Jetmagic claimed that Aer Lingus, having already ceased its Cork to Dublin route, would need to reduce its services to Paris and Amsterdam to facilitate the new routes out of Cork. This was rejected by the Aer Lingus spokesman who said extra capacity would be going on the Paris and Amsterdam routes.

Mr Raftery said Jetmagic had decided to increase the frequency of its services to Barcelona and Alicante to five flights weekly for next year. He said the decision was taken regardless of the Aer Lingus move.

Jetmagic is backed by a number of Cork-based investors who have raised private equity in excess of €5 million, with options for further fundraising in the future.

Meanwhile, the board of Aer Lingus is expected to make a decision on the company's fleet renewal programme late next month. Airbus and Boeing are believed to still be negotiating on price at a time when airlines are demanding major reductions. Aer Lingus is expected to purchase between 27 and 37 aircraft with options on several more.

Meanwhile, the Commission for Aviation Regulation has advised travellers to ensure their travel agent or tour operator is properly licensed. Recent controversy surrounding the start-up airline FreshAer has highlighted the importance of compliance with the relevant legislation in order to safeguard consumers, said a statement released yesterday.

The Commission advised people to check that their travel agent or tour operator holds a current licence.

A travel agent's licence, issued by the Commission for Aviation Regulation, is a legal requirement for anyone selling travel out of the Republic. Its primary function is to protect the consumer through the travel agency bonding scheme. This scheme enables the Commission to step in with funding for alternative travel arrangements to enable travellers return home or receive a refund if they are left stranded or their agent goes out of business.