Airport drops late-night flying plan
Belfast City Airport has dropped plans to seek approval for late night flights, it was confirmed today.
The idea had been under consideration since the British government set out proposals last year for the future development of airports in the UK and indicated a lifting of the 9.30pm curfew on flights would be possible if the airport applied for it.
After careful consideration and extensive consultation in the face of opposition from local politicians and the residents of East Belfast who would be affected by late flights, the airport decided to shelve the idea.
Airport management said they wanted to maintain the delicate balance between growing the business and community interests.
As well as giving up on night flights, the airport is also not going to ask for an increase in the number of aircraft allowed to take off and land each year.
But it will be seeking the removal of the cap on the annual number of seats that can be sold on flights.
Airport chief executive Brian Ambrose said today: “We have spent almost five months consulting very widely. We are conscious that while we are an ambitious airport and trying to grow, we have an impact on the community around us.”
He said the general view was that there was a tolerance and quite a lot of support for what they did at the moment “but it was made very clear to us that the one issue that was most contentious was operating hours“.
Last year some 600 flights broke the 9.30pm cut-off time because of delays and local residents made it clear they wanted no more, he said.
Mr Ambrose conceded there was not a great deal of demand for later flights on most routes, but revealed that during its consultation about seeking an extension of its hours, BMI had said it would put on a later service from Heathrow if hours were extended.
He said the airport could see scope for passenger growth within existing hours from around two million to three million over the next 10 years.
