Aer Lingus pulling out of Belfast
 

Aer Lingus is to follow British Airways by pulling out of Belfast next month.

A spokesman for Belfast International Airport urged the executive and the British and Irish governments to take action to protect services.

Aer Lingus last night confirmed that it is to stop the five-times-a-week service to Shannon and onward to a number of destinations in America.

An airport spokesman said: “There is obviously a very difficult situation within the airline industry at the moment but this is Ireland’s national carrier looking at pulling a route out of Belfast.”

He added: “We have spoken to everyone we can today and clearly, the assistance has to come from higher up. The airport can only do so much to keep Aer Lingus in Northern Ireland. We need help politically to keep the situation alive.”

The spokesman also urged the British government to act to protect the British Airways Belfast slots at Heathrow.

He said: “BA want those slots for long-haul services. It is nothing to do with loyalty to Northern Ireland. It is nothing to do with the economics of the route. They should take those slots from them and keep them for Northern Ireland.”

South Antrim MP and former BA communications director David Burnside said airlines should “hold their nerve”.

0He has written to the British prime minister and BA chairman Lord Marshall, urging the airline to rethink its decision.

I heard that the BA routes were purely political anyway and never really made any money.

I believe bmi made money on the route but now they are going to the city airport because of Aldergrove charges?

This has been a truly appalling few weeks for the staff at Egaa(me included) So far we have lost or are losing Gill Sabena British Airways and to our competitors at EGAC Bmi .Cuts in staff would seem to be the logical outcome.I am surprised at the silence from the local politicians regarding BA.With the "political"ramifications I expected at least the DUP to say something !As for giving the Northern Ireland business flyer what they want as stated by the BMI chief executive in the inflight magazine last month I fail to see it ! A drop of something like 8 rotations to Egll a day by BA and a late night flight cancelled by Bmi can only lead to a severe increase in fares into Heathrow!.The economic isolation of this part of the UK is increasing !Off to remove my bootlaces and belt !!!

Latest rumour is that bmi will operate out of both BHD and BFS. This is supposed to be a deal between BD and BA after the latter's decision to withdraw the LHR-BFS route. Don't know if this is true or not. :)

Looking through BFS' website (www.bial.co.uk) it looks as if the only EI service is SNN-BFS-SNN which is a continuation of the BWI service, which of course is being axed.

What are the BFS-SNN loads like anyway?