A brand new airline referred to as Fly Atlantic plans to make Northern Eire a hub for flights to North America.
Flights from the Belfast are attributable to start in the summertime of 2024, connecting Nice Britain and continental Europe with varied US and Canadian locations.
At current the one transatlantic hyperlinks from Belfast are seasonal vacation charters.
Fly Atlantic says it can function from Belfast Worldwide Airport and deploy narrow-bodied plane, however it has but to determine whether or not to make use of Boeing 737 Max or Airbus A321 planes.
Initially the plan is for six plane, increasing to a fleet of 18 plane serving 35 locations from Belfast.
Fly Atlantic’s chief government, Andrew Pyne, mentioned: “Our imaginative and prescient is of Belfast as a robust aviation hub linking Europe and North America.
“The shortage of direct transatlantic air companies has clearly been an obstacle to Northern Eire’s financial and tourism growth, which we now intend to take away.
“The undertaking could be a gamechanger. That is an airline that can ship better connectivity and assist transmit Northern Eire’s distinctive id to a worldwide viewers.”
Graham Keddie, the airport’s managing director, mentioned: “We welcome the announcement by Fly Atlantic and look ahead to them bringing this undertaking to fruition as it could have very actual financial advantages for Northern Eire’s economic system and would additional improve our worldwide connectivity”.
The native authority. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, has offered help.
The mayor, Alderman Stephen Ross mentioned: “Bettering connectivity is a key a part of our financial growth technique and we’re delighted that Fly Atlantic has chosen Belfast Worldwide Airport to turn out to be a hub, providing direct flights to North America, UK, and Europe.
In 2018 the price range airline Norwegian arrange a small US community based mostly at Belfast Worldwide, however it didn’t show viable.
United Airways beforehand flew from Belfast Worldwide to New York Newark, however dropped the route in 2016 attributable to poor monetary efficiency.
Flyglobespan linked Belfast with Toronto and Orlando in 2009, earlier than the airline failed.
Rob Burgess, editor of the frequent-flyer web site Head for Factors, mentioned: “‘Is there a spot out there for long-haul journey from Belfast? The airport has no scheduled US companies at current however, after all, it will likely be competing towards numerous US flights from Dublin.
“Belfast Worldwide additionally lacks intensive connections to the UK and Europe, with most brief haul carriers utilizing Belfast Metropolis airport.
“What’s true is that new plane such because the Airbus A321LR enable single aisle plane to succeed in the US East Coast at low price, and with underneath 200 seats these plane can work nicely to smaller cities resembling Belfast.
“What isn’t clear is whether or not Fly Atlantic can appeal to excessive spending enterprise passengers, who demand excessive frequencies and the consolation of options choices if flights are delayed or cancelled.’
Airline schedule analyst Sean Moulton mentioned: “Most regional UK airports lack a direct flight to New York, Toronto or Boston – together with main cities resembling Birmingham, Newcastle, Liverpool and Bristol.
“Fly Atlantic have the chance to take passengers away from present legacy carriers to attach them to US.
“How will it work in observe although – we wait to see.”
Belfast Worldwide is about 300 miles nearer to New York than are the London airports, and marginally nearer than is Dublin.
At current the primary airline at Belfast Worldwide is easyJet.
