Belfast – New York route saved ‘for the time being’
02.05.11
Northern Ireland’s only transatlantic air route has been saved — for the time being, the Belfast Telegraph reports. The popular Continental service from Belfast International to New York (Newark) - which is said to be worth around £20m to the local economy - had been threatened by the increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) introduced last November. It meant that a levy of at least £60 was being imposed on each US-bound passenger and had travellers from Northern Ireland switching instead to Dublin Airport, where the charge is just €3.
However, after negotiations between the airline, Belfast International Airport, Stormont Executive ministers and the UK Treasury officials, the route - which carries 100,000 passengers a year - has been given a reprieve. The airport’s business development director Uel Hoey told the newspaper: ‘The New York to Belfast service is an essential cornerstone of Northern Ireland’s current and future inward investment and tourism strategy. Not only because of the direct link to New York, but due to the extensive coverage available throughout North America via Continental’s Newark hub.'
‘The service continues to perform strongly in traffic terms, but now we have a blatant disparity on the level of tax being applied to Belfast compared to Dublin. This unfair, onerous tax comparator for long-haul flights is what we are focused upon redressing within the earliest possible timeframe.’
It is understood that Continental will be monitoring the route over the summer before making a final decision.
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