Low-cost airline bmibaby adds more flights out of Belfast

Monday, 6th September 2010

Low-cost carrier bmibaby is planning extra flights from Belfast International Airport to fill the gap left after Ryanair announced it would pull out of Belfast. Bmibaby said it will run five more flights a week to East Midlands. From 31 October, Ryanair will stop operating out of Belfast City Airport. Ryanair blames delays over gaining approval of a runway extension that is mired in controversy. Bmibaby will now offer three flights each day on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. It will also operate two flights on Sundays.

Chief executive of Ryainair Michael O’Leary caused a row to erupt with government ministers when he blasted them over delays in the development of the airport. The carrier says it will offer 50 employees who are currently working on the Belfast routes chances to redeploy. Mr O’Leary also said, however, that his airline’s pulling out of Belfast will result in the loss of another 1,000 jobs that depend on Ryanair’s Belfast flights. An application to extend the runway by roughly 600m was made two years ago. The development would have led to the airport being able to support flights to more-distant destinations. The Stormont government, however, referred the planning application to a public inquiry, causing Mr O’Leary to pull his airline out of the city.

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