Ulster Unionist Peer, Lord Empey of Shandon has welcomed the announcement of 2,000 extra flights for Northern Ireland as part of the Chancellor’s £7 million Regional Air Connectivity Fund.
Lord Empey said:
“I warmly welcome the decision of The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne to allocate additional funds from the regional air connectivity fund totalling £7m. This will involve opening up new routes from Belfast to Carlisle and Londonderry to Dublin. Other regions will also be benefitting from the fund, and this is good news for the United Kingdom as a whole.
“This decision inevitably leads to the position that I have been pursuing for some time with my Private Members Bill, the Airports (Amendment) Bill 2015. This seeks to protect direct flights from Belfast to London Heathrow, which is the UK's major hub airport.
“However, it seems that the Department of Transport is still not getting the message from the Chancellor that connectivity is key to regional growth and attracting inward investment.
“I am going to Brussels soon to continue my fight to ensure that landing slots at Heathrow for flights from Belfast are protected. It cannot be left to the airlines alone. We have seen huge changes in this industry with acquisitions and a general reduction in domestic access to Heathrow from the regions. I want to see Her Majesty’s Government have powers to intervene to ensure that Northern Ireland access is not sacrificed to more profitable long haul routes to China and the Far East.”