LDY had it's busiest day ever last week, with an Islandflug 757 and (I think) a 737-300 from Excel Airways going to Lourdes along with the usual scheduled stuff. I'm no expert, but surely if a 757 with 250 people on board, plus luggage, plus enough fuel to get to the south of France can use the runway, then surely a 737-800 can too to get to Stansted, even with under-performing engines? It seems like MOL is trying to black-mail the Council, though if reports in last weeks Derry Journal are to believed then they're at least partially getting the money to extend the runway. (supposedly £12 million of the £20 million asked for. Link:
www.derryjournal.com/story/3939 ).
Just a thought, but isn't nearly all of the traffic on the Ryanair Hanh-Kerry flight German tourists? If that route can work why not one to the northwest when Donega's a good two-hour drive at least from the Belfast airports.
As an aside, apparently the Aer Arann routes to MAN and BHX are doing a bit better than projected.