AN important flight route connecting Northern Ireland to London has been protected for another year it has been confirmed.
Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister Conor Murphy has announced funding to protect the continuation of flights from the City of Derry Airport (CoDA) to London Heathrow.
Operated by Loganair, the route is jointly funded by the Department for Transport and the Department for the Economy.
Further funding of £1.018m has been secured for the service for the year ahead.
That funding round takes effect on April 1, with Loganair set to continue operating its existing 20 return flights a week.
“Funding this route between City of Derry Airport and London Heathrow was an early priority for me as Economy Minister,” the Sinn Féin Minister said.
“The route connects the North West to London which helps thousands of people to travel to work and conduct business.
“This investment also protects jobs for airport workers and their families.”
Economy Minister Conor Murphy is pictured at City of Derry Airport with its Manager Steve Frazer and Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd following the announcement of funding to protect the continuation of the flights from the City of Derry Airport to London Heathrow.Mr Murphy added: “I look forward to working with the airport and my colleague, the Minister for Infrastructure, John O’Dowd, to develop CoDA as part of building the North West economy.”
Welcoming the announcement Steve Frazer, City of Derry Airport Managing Director, said the route is “vital” to support economic growth in the region.
“Continuation of this connectivity from City of Derry Airport to London Heathrow is vital for the Northwest region to support our economic growth, improving both our business and tourism opportunities,” he said.
“Coupled with the fastest and most convenient access to central London, the route also provides onward connectivity to 119 destinations across 56 countries,” he added.
“With this core route now secured thanks to Minister Murphy’s announcement, improved regional connectivity will help drive our inward investment and growth opportunities across the Northwest.”
“We also very much welcome the visit of Minister O’Dowd, and look forward to working with his department to finalise a support package which will ensure the airport continues to contribute to the economic growth of our region for some years to come, something which has not been possible to achieve without Ministers in place.”
