WATERFORD Airport is in "detailed discussions" to resume its flights to Britain this year, according to its CEO Desmond O'Flynn.
Mr O'Flynn made the comments ahead of a meeting on Monday with Minister for Transport, Shane Ross.
The airport ceased commercial flights and passenger traffic in June 2016 after Belgian airline VLM Airlines stopped its flights to London Luton, having filed for bankruptcy in the month before.
VLM Airlines had operated 12 weekly flights in each direction between Waterford and Luton airports, as well as a Birmingham route four times a week.
Waterford Airport was VLM Airlines' only Irish base.
While Mr O'Flynn said the agenda for the meeting with the Minister was "confidential", he revealed: "The Airport is in detailed discussions with a number of operators to resume a series of scheduled air services to Britain in the course of 2017."
While Minister Ross did not make a statement following the meeting with the airport CEO, following his allocation of €1,020,215 to Waterford Airport in December 2016, Minster Ross said supporting regional airports would support the tourism sector.
"This support is very important for these smaller airports and for the role that they play in promoting a level of international connectivity to support the tourism and business sectors in their regions,” Minister Ross said.
