Originally Posted by
Amelia Earhart
Invest NI have confirmed that the aircraft maintenance facility planned for City of Derry Airport and announced by Martin McGuinness as part of the £7 million support package has been mothballed.
Instead an aircraft maintenance facility will open at Belfast City Airport.
However on this occasion there appears to have been no sleight of hand, rather it appears to be a victim of Brexit apparently.
The facility was planned by a Southern Irish firm but after Brexit the UK will no longer have EU safety certification so the project could not proceed. Even if Brexit is cancelled the project will no doubt have moved on to another airport in the South.
The Belfast operation was planned by a UK company servicing UK planes so is unaffected by Brexit.
This is bad news for Derry, not only for 120 jobs but it was also intended to reduce the losses at CODA and secure the airport's future.
This was covered on the Mark Patterson show on BBC Radio Foyle yesterday.
And what now of the £7 million rescue package in the absence of Stormont?
It's a real pity but not a shocker. I would not have ruled out a British firm taking the funding over, but now that BHD is getting a facility I doubt another firm would open up in this proximity.
The funding needs released without a doubt, I just hope a higher percentage of it goes to route development now (Should it get released).