RYANAIR has said that a row with Dublin Airport over charging could eventually see additional flights introduced in the north next year.
The budget carrier has announced it will cancel 17 routes and move 19 aircraft from Dublin to alternative EU airports in a fallout over costs.
While that will not benefit Ryanair’s northern operation this winter, the airline’s marketing director, Dara Brady, said Belfast International Airport “is well primed” to take additional traffic in 2024.
The airline returned to Belfast International in March 2023 after pulling up the wheels in October 2021 a row Ryanair blamed on costs and UK air passenger duty (APD).
The Irish carrier confirmed on Thursday it will maintain two aircraft at Aldergrove this winter, which will sustain 16 routes, albeit with three changes.
As previously reported by The Irish News, Turin, Porto and Lanzarote have been added to the winter schedule, replacing Cardiff, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca.
Read more:
- Row erupts between Ryanair and DAA after airline slashes winter schedule at Dublin Airport
- Ryanair planning new winter flights to Porto, Turin and Warsaw from Belfast International
- Ryanair to scrap winter flights from Belfast International to Warsaw-Modlin over airport row
- Ryanair return to Belfast International Airport this weekend with 15 new routes
Ryanair was planning to introduce a winter service to Warsaw-Modlin, but reversed that plan in separate row with the operators of the Polish airport.
It will still fly to two other Polish airports this winter (Krakow and Gdansk).
Ryanair said it will sustain the 60 roles already involved in the Belfast International operation.
Dara Brady also hinted that the 57 new aircraft entering the Ryanair fleet from this winter could benefit the north.
“Those aircraft will need to be housed somewhere," he said.
“There is a very high level of demand here, not just for sun stuff, but connections into the UK for business in particular.”
But asked about its temperamental relationship with airports, that famously led Ryanair to fall out with both Belfast City and International airports on separate occasions, Mr Brady said: “As it stands today we have a very good relationship, we have a long-term deal [with Belfast International].
“That gives us some certainty and I think that puts us in our strongest ever position ever to grow here.
“But if the government was to go and double APD here, well that would be a problem for us.”
Mr Brady also confirmed Ryanair intend retaining its City of Derry to Manchester service for the foreseeable.
