New Manchester Route with Flybe at City of Derry Airport

As you may be aware there have been significant changes at the City of Derry Airport over the past eighteen months. Derry City Council has removed itself from the day to day operations of the airport by setting up a limited company to run the facility and more recently they have appointed Parsons Brinckerhoff (a Balfour Beatty company) to provide strategic and commercial expertise to the airport going forward.

The overall aim of these very positive steps is to develop the facility into a successful regional airport with routes that meet the needs of business and leisure travellers from the North West of Ireland. It also aims to deliver this whilst reducing the subvention required from the Council thereby reducing the cost to the rate-payer.

It is encouraging to see some early benefits of these new structures with improved services on London Stansted and the addition of new summer sun destinations. Perhaps most encouraging of all is that the airport has attracted Flybe to start operations at the airport with the addition of a new Manchester service beginning on the 19th of May 2011. Operators like Flybe will be essential to the development of improved business links to the UK and this is hopefully a first step in this process.

Derry City Council and this Chamber firmly believe that the airport is a key economic driver for the city and the region, and the development of key business routes is essential. Flybe will be a key partner in delivering these type of routes.

Flybe have put the new Manchester route on from May until September initially and future development will be based on the success or failure of this route. We would urge all members to support this new service to Manchester whenever possible to help secure the service beyond September and to encourage Flybe to add further routes in the future.

Please view the Brochure for these flights HERE