Erm well since the Irish Govt abandoned any form of APD There is a huge boost straight away (If thats not a subsidy then it is as near as it needs to be). Plus there will be all the usual support from tourist boards and investment funds, you are all dreaming if you think otherwise.
Belfast still can't get rid of APD despite a border with a direct competitor, never mind a much smaller market to start with for getting any sort of air route startup investment.
So I think I'm spot on with my assessment of BFS' chance of getting any form of transatlantic route other than a loco startup.
They reduced the APD tax, what's the big deal, instead of increasing it for all carriers they decided to cap it at 3 euro to help airlines and to get some sort of revenue and not to affect growth. Tourism is important to our economy and yes it receives funding to promote Ireland (mind you NI also pay a fixed amount every year for them to be included in the marketing.) It supports thousands of jobs. Airlines don't receive a penny of the money, it is purely used to promote Ireland in x or y city.
Dublin didn't tell London to introduce APD and Dublin, its your authorities and the people who were elected in the North that are in charge of APD there. Anyway its only a couple of euro in the difference, that would not deter a carrier from coming to BFS if the market was there. If 7 euro or so sways a airline to come to DUB you are mistaking.
Scotland have set up there own fund for carriers to fly there, what's stopping people in Belfast from doing the same. NOTHING!
People in the North were not complaining when it was 10 euro from DUB and NOTHING from the North, airlines were not very eager to come then either.
There is a big difference in Gov's paying airlines to operate a route for x period of time and a tourism body marketing a place in certain cities.