Ryanair unveils London-Belfast flights

Ryanair is to begin operating a new four-times a day service to London Stansted out of George Best Belfast City Airport.

The announcement followed plans to introduce a twice daily service to Liverpool and one a day to East Midlands and Glasgow.

Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O’Leary wearing a No.11 Northern Ireland international soccer shirt in memory of Best, and carrying a placard which declared: ’Northern Ireland Says No to High Fares’ revealed he was ready to introduce new European routes if the runway at Belfast City was lengthened.

Aircraft flying to and returning from the Continent will need an additional 200 metres.

Mr O’Leary said: “Once the extension is in place in the next 12-18 months, then we will be introducing sexy destinations like Barcelona, Rome and Paris.”

The introduction of the Stansted service followed the decision by Air Berlin to pull out of Belfast City at the end of next month. The Ryanair service starts on October 30 with the first 100,000 seats to London, East Midlands, Liverpool and Glasgow seats selling for £10.

Rival low fare airlines Easyjet operates out of Belfast International, and BMI at Belfast City whose chief executive Brian Ambrose claimed: “It’s great for the economy and tourism in Northern Ireland.”