" City Link up is just Magic"
Newsletter - 13th March 2003
A NEW air service between Belfast and Cork is to launch next month, the News Letter can confirm.
The twice daily service between Belfast City Airport (BCA) and Cork Airport, which will start at the end of April, will be operated by Jetmagic, a new airline which is backed by a number of Cork-based investors.
It is expected that the flights, which will take 50 minutes, will be scheduled to accomodate business travellers with a morning and evening service.
The company will operate Embraer 135 Regional jets, equipped with Rolls Royce engines and seating capacity for 37 passengers.
Jetmagic will use Cork Airport as its base and plans to offer frequent direct services to and from European business capitals and generate increased inbound tourism. It is expected the venture will create up to 145 jobs in the Cork region.
It is understood that the company intends to sell seats on the internet from Monday, to coincide with St Patrick's Day.
A spokesman for BCA confirmed that the airport has been in discussions for some time with Jetmagic.
"Jetmagic is seriously looking at starting a twice daily service to Belfast from Cork. Belfast City Airport is quietly confident that the twice daily service will start soon,'' he added.
Though Jetmagic is not a low-cost airline, it is expected that fares will be " reasonably'' priced.
Patrick Raftery, chief executive of Jetmagic, described the airline as "no fuss''.
"We will offer an innovative, dynamic and excellent service. Some of the 'different' offerings of the airline include an on-line check-in 20 minutes pre-departure and other technology-driven features all designed to improve the travel experience for our passengers. One of the key features of our airline will be value for money.
Essentially we are looking forward to putting the fun back into flying.''
Meanwhile, research commissioned by InterTrade Ireland, the cross-border body, has found that there is a strong business demand for regular flights, particularly between Belfast and Dublin and Belfast and the Cork/Shannon area.
Liam Nellis, chief executive of InterTradeIreland, said: "Air travel is the fastest growing mode of transport in Europe over the last 40 years, and regional air transport has played a significant role in inter-regional economic growth.
"It should be equally
important on the island of Ireland but there is only one cross-border service.
This is in sharp contrast to the spreading network within the Republic where
there are seven existing regional services.''
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