"City Airport poised to land Ryanair routes deal"
Belfast
Telegraph - 25th June 2007
Ryanair is on the brink of signing a deal to start flights
from George Best Belfast City Airport, Business Telegraph has learned.
The Dublin-based no-frills airline is expected to make a formal announcement within the next couple of weeks, confirming the agreement. It is understood the first Ryanair flights could start in October, at the beginning of the airline's winter timetable. Initially the airline is expected to operate a limited number of services but it is thought to have ambitious plans to expand the programme.
Among the Continental destinations which are on Ryanair's radar are Paris,
Barcelona, Riga, Brussels, Rome, and either Katowice or Warsaw. And in addition
Ryanair intends to operate domestic services to Liverpool, East Midlands and
Bristol. Over the next five years, Ryanair's objective is to build up its
network from City Airport and the projection is that by 2012 it could be carrying
750,000 passengers a year.
It is understood that Ryanair is happy to comply with the present opening
hours of City Airport, which is subject to a night-time curfew from 9.30pm
to 6.30am.
Brian Ambrose, the chief executive of City Airport, refused to confirm that
Ryanair was on its way, describing the suggestion as "speculation".
He said:
"On many occasions in the past we have stated our ambition to offer our
customers an increased portfolio of European routes direct from the heart
of Belfast. "I
can confirm that the airport is in negotiations with a number of carriers
in order to realise that ambition."
A spokesman for Ryanair said: "Our firm policy is never to comment on
market speculation."
It is understood, however, that senior executives from the airline met with
management at City Airport last week to finalise the agreement. The arrival
of Ryanair would be a major boost for City Airport, which currently serves
24 destinations. A weekly Flybe service to Rennes is the only direct scheduled
Continental link, but in addition there are charter flights.
The airport, which is owned by Spanish company Ferrovial, handled 2.1m passengers
last year, compared to 5m at Belfast International. At present City Airport
is subject to a limit of 1.5m outbound seats for sale per annum, but an Examination
in Public recommended that this be increased to two million.
The EiP recommendation
was challenged by local residents' groups who were concerned about additional
noise and applied for a judicial review. It is expected that the airport would
have to invest in an enlargement of its airside departure lounge and baggage
carousel area to cope with the extra passengers.
Although Ryanair is not expected to base any aircraft at Belfast City, the
increase in business could generate up to 750 new jobs in terms of ancillary
support services at the airport. Ryanair's only presence in Northern Ireland
at present is its operation from City of Derry Airport, from where it serves
London Stansted, Liverpool, Prestwick, Bristol and East Midlands.
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