"Sky's the limit for City as air routes open up"
Belfast
Telegraph - 28th May 2007
Northern Ireland is today witnessing one of the most
intensive phases of expansion for the aviation sector, with four new air routes
opening up in the space of just four days.
Today saw the launch of no-frills Hungarian carrier Wizz Air's new service from Belfast International to Katowice in Poland.
On Saturday, Flybe started operations on its routes from George Best Belfast City Airport to Rennes in France and Newquay in Cornwall.
And tomorrow, it will be chocks away for a new six flights a week route from City Airport to Dundee, being run by Dundee- based Flywhoosh.com.
While the Rennes route is Belfast City's first direct scheduled service to the Continent, the opening up of the four flights a week Katowice service means that a total of 13 destinations are now served from Aldergrove by scheduled services.
Uel Hoey, business development director at Belfast International, said they were delighted to welcome Wizz Air as a new carrier.
Wizz Air plans to augment its Katowice service with a new route from Belfast to Warsaw which starts on July 14.
But both services will be competing with easyJet, which stole a march on them by starting its route to the historic city of Krakow in April.
Mr Hoey said: "These quickfire developments are testimony to the tremendous potential which exists for increased travel and trade between Northern Ireland and Poland."
It is estimated that at least 25,000 Polish nationals are now resident in Northern Ireland, and Wizz Air sees the visiting friends and relatives market as being the bedrock of the service.
Natasa Kázmér, head of corporate communications and public affairs at Wizz Air, said they were pleased with advance bookings.
"Our lowest single fare to Katowice is £20 including taxes, which we believe will appeal not just to Polish nationals but to people from Northern Ireland as well.
"We are using Airbus A320 180-seat aircraft for the service and we are anticipating a load factor of 80-90%, which would be above the average on our other routes to the UK.
"We think the service will be primarily aimed at the leisure sector but we expect the business market to grow as trade links are established."
Andrea Hayes, general manager, market development, with Flybe in Northern Ireland, said Rennes was a gateway to the north-west of France.
Flybe operates a through flight from Belfast City to Paris, but the aircraft touches down at Cardiff en route.
Maria Rueda, business development director at Belfast City Airport said they were delighted to be able to offer passengers an "increasing portfolio" of routes from the airport.
"Rennes and Cardiff are the latest destinations following the recent commencement of daily flights to London City and Blackpool," she said.
Passenger numbers at both Belfast's airports are on the increase. Last year, Belfast International set a new record of five million, while Belfast City handled 2.8 million passengers.
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