Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said that the Executive needs to learn from its mistakes in the United Airlines fiasco to avoid the same fate in the future. Economy Minister Simon Hamilton had blamed “Brussels bureaucrats” for losing the flight, but documentation received from the European Commission tells a different story.

Mr Nicholson said

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said that the Executive needs to learn from its mistakes in the United Airlines fiasco to avoid the same fate in the future. Economy Minister Simon Hamilton had blamed “Brussels bureaucrats” for losing the flight, but documentation received from the European Commission tells a different story.

Mr Nicholson said:

“Throughout this saga Simon Hamilton has consistently sought to absolve himself of any responsibility by blaming so-called ‘Brussels bureaucrats’.

“Facts are however stubborn things and in this case the European Commission was not notified of the NI Executive’s intention to provide a package to United Airlines.  In fact, the Commission was not informed until a month after the scheme was announced, and even that was on an informal basis.

“This raises significant questions for the Economy Minister. Was any effort made by Simon Hamilton to run the scheme by his own Department’s State Aid Unit?

“With reports suggesting other airlines are interested in opening a transatlantic route from Belfast, it is vital that lessons are learned from these mistakes. But the first step in this is to admit what actually happened.

“If Simon Hamilton can find the time, he ought to familiarise himself with the State Aid Unit in his own Department, as regardless of the type of Brexit deal we get, we will still have to comply with the bulk of State Aid law.

“Tied with the farce of the RHI scandal and a lack of preparation for Brexit, there are clearly serious questions to ask about the competence of Ministers in the DUP/Sinn Fein Executive.”