Image Publications has won the contract to publish the Aer Lingus in-flight magazine Cara. The contract was previously with Dalkey-based publisher Maxmedia. The magazine was at the centre of a legal battle three years ago when Harmonia, the publishing house run by Norah Casey, sued Aer Lingus over the loss of a new three-year contract to Maxmedia, run by former Harmonia executive Garret Whelan and his wife, Lisa Gaughran.
It was alleged that another former Harmonia employee, advertising executive Mary Kershaw, had given commercially sensitive to Maxmedia, which influenced the awarding of the €1.5 million a year magazine contract. As 10.4 million passengers flew with Aer Lingus in 2009, Cara is regarded as one of Ireland’s top magazines with about 750,000 readers. It is understood the contract attracted a number of other pitches.
Cara was edited in recent years by veteran music journalist Tony Clayton-Lea. Image Publications said the new editor will be Frances Power, who was most previously travel and features editor at Image. The in-flight magazine will include a mix of travel, arts, design, fashion, sport and business.
The first issue of Cara produced by Image Publications will be in in-flight pockets on August 1 this year.
