Belfast International Airport loses out to Dublin in the race for long-haul routes
Planned new long-haul routes from Northern Ireland’ Belfast International airport to Toronto and Abu Dhabi will not be introduced this year, raising fears that our main airport is being allowed to stagnate. The routes won’t operate till the end of 2014, at the earliest. There are fears that the airport has little or no future as an international hub without immediate government help, as it cannot compete with Dublin for lucrative international air routes. Dublin has almost 5 times as many passengers. It has been stagnating for years. By contrast, Dublin Airport is booming. BIA has only one long-haul route – a New York-Newark service – which was only saved three years ago after an 11th hour U-turn by Chancellor George Osborne allowing Northern Ireland to stop charging APD. Northern Ireland cannot compete with the Republic, which can offer airlines huge financial incentives. BIA had around 4,022,470 passengers in 2013, down – 6.7% on 2012.
.
Tweet
Belfast International Airport loses out to Dublin in the race for long-haul routes
BY CLAIRE MCNEILLY (Belfast Telegraph)
10 FEBRUARY 2014
Planned new long-haul routes from Northern Ireland to Toronto and Abu Dhabi will not be introduced this year, raising fears that our main airport is being allowed to stagnate.
The Belfast Telegraph can today reveal that the proposed routes from Belfast International Airport (BIA) won’t be operational by the end of this year at least.
The development has raised fears that BIA has little or no future as an international hub without immediate government help.
A senior Stormont politician has now issued a stark warning that Belfast “isn’t at the races” when it comes to competing with Dublin for lucrative international air routes.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) figures due out this week are expected to confirm that, in terms of air traffic, Northern Ireland has been stagnating for years. By contrast, Dublin Airport is booming.
And while Northern Ireland’s new long-haul aspirations have been shelved, Dublin currently boasts four routes to Canada alone, and two to the Middle East.
BIA has only one long-haul route – a New York-Newark service – which was only saved three years ago after an 11th hour U-turn by Chancellor George Osborne on the crippling air passenger duty (APD) imposed on long-haul flights from the UK.
It is almost two years since the Belfast Telegraph revealed that there were high hopes of securing a direct route from BIA to Abu Dhabi.
Alastair Hamilton, Invest NI chief executive, said at the time “there is a fairly high chance it will happen” while Economy Minister Arlene Foster spoke of the benefits it would bring. But the route has failed to materialise, along with a new direct flight to Toronto which, it was hoped, would re-connect Northern Ireland with Canada.
Now politicians have been urged to find a way of making Northern Ireland more competitive in the air traffic market, the stagnation of which is having a debilitating effect on tourism and the local economy.
At present Northern Ireland simply can’t compete with the Republic, which can offer airlines huge financial incentives.
BIA remains the second biggest airport on the island of Ireland, but handles only around a fifth of Dublin’s 20m passenger volume.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/news/belfast-international-airport-loses-out-to-dublin-in-the-race-for-longhaul-routes-29994635.html
.
UK Airport Statistics: 2012 – annual (Table 10.3) Terminal Passengers 2002 – 2012
2013 4,022,470 (down – 6.7% on 2012)
2012 4,312,441 (up + 5.1% on 2011)
2010 4,011,000 (down – 12% on 2009) link to 2010 data
2006 5,015
2005 4,820
2000 3,127
1996 2,351
.
American company, ADC & HAS Airports Worldwide, has bought Belfast International airport from Abertis
July 23, 2013 Belfast International Airport is to be sold to the US-based firm, ADC & HAS Airports Worldwide, which has interests in airports in Costa Rica and Ecuador. Belfast International has been owned by the Spanish company Abertis since 2005. Abertis is also selling Stockholm Skavsta airport and other assets to ADC & HAS for a total of £244m. The deal with Abertis is pending approval of minority shareholders and US regulators. Belfast International is the second largest airport in Ireland and handles around 4.3m passengers a year, well down from its peak of around 5.5 million in 2007. Click here to view full story…
More Northern Ireland residents using Dublin Airport
March 12, 2013 New figures from the Dublin Airport Authority show more than 500,000 Northern Ireland residents used Dublin Airport last year, a 15% increase on 2011. The number of Northern Ireland-based passengers using Dublin Airport has almost doubled since 2010 – the vast majority (70%) for holidays or leisure trips – and only 20% for business. The effect of Air Passenger Duty is not mentioned, as it is only £13 for short haul journeys, and has been removed from longer journeys from Northern Ireland. The Irish flight tax is only €3 per flight (it was higher till 2011). Dublin airport says the new road network has made travelling from Northern Ireland to Dublin faster and easier. In 2011 Dublin airport had around 18.7 million passengers, Belfast International had about 4.1 million and Belfast City airport around 2.4 million. Click here to view full story…
.
.
.