AQW 3487/17-22

Mr Andrew Muir
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 10/03/2020
Answered On Date: 20/03/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail assistance being provided to George Best Belfast City Airport as a result of the collapse of Flybe.

Answer:

Civil aviation in the UK is a reserved matter for the UK Department of Transport, and they are working with industry to identify opportunities to re-establish key routes, and engaging with Airlines UK and airlines directly to emphasise and accelerate this. Alongside this, I, and my Department, will continue to work closely with the Belfast City Airport in the forthcoming days and weeks, as maintaining air connectivity to GB is vital to Northern Ireland.

Belfast City Airport have recently stated that negotiations with a number of carriers to take up air routes formerly operated by Flybe are underway, and I am delighted that the Chief Executive Officer of the airport has already been able to reach agreement with Loganair who will take up two of the routes, and Eastern Airways who will take up another of the routes, all starting in the next two weeks.