New air routes for Belfast

Another three air routes from Belfast open today with two more tomorrow.

EasyJet launches international routes to Rome, Berlin and Geneva with support from the British government’s Air Route Development Fund.

The budget airline is also starting, without support, services to Palma and Inverness.

UK Enterprise Minister Angela Smith said: “With the introduction of these additional routes we can clearly say that Northern Ireland has developed into a major international base for one of the premier operators in the low-cost air transport sector.”

The new routes mean there are direct air scheduled routes from Belfast International Airport to 15 international destinations and another 19 in the UK.

It is a huge travelling transformation for the North which, as recently as April last year, had just one scheduled international route – the easyJet service to Amsterdam.

Ms Smith said of the new services: “Coming hard on the heels of the introduction of the New York-Belfast service which began in May, this is another major stride towards improving the accessibility of Northern Ireland’s businesses to the global economy, and of tourists to Northern Ireland.”

She said easyJet was to be commended for the commitment it had shown to Northern Ireland since arriving almost seven years ago. It now operates nine scheduled services to Britain and 10 to Europe from Belfast.

The five new routes require the airline to keep an additional plane stationed in Belfast – bringing the total to five, supporting 30 jobs at the airport.

Bill McGinnis, chairman of Air Route Development Ltd, said: “The expansion of easyJet’s base at Belfast International Airport is good news for local businesses wishing to develop export and partnership opportunities.”

He said as with other European capital cities, direct links to Rome and Berlin represented exciting opportunities for economic growth.

Geneva was also a key economic centre and home to the World Trade Organisation, he said.

The new routes could only be good news for trading links and the inbound tourism industry.

ARD assistance has been given to establish nine new routes – Belfast International to New York, Paris, Nice, Rome, Berlin and Geneva, Belfast City to Norwich and City of Derry to Birmingham and Manchester.