BMI Reopens Belfast-Stansted Route

Cancelled Ryaniair flights from Belfast to Stansted are to be replaced from next Spring with airline bmibaby announcing a new route from George Best Belfast City Airport to London Stansted Airport.

The new service will commence on 28 March 2011 and bmibaby will be the only airline to operate this route.

The service will operate three times a day from Monday to Friday, with one service on Sunday with low cost fares starting from £23.99 one way including taxes.

Last month the operator announced it was shifting its Northern Ireland base from Aldergrove to Belfast City. Its Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and East Midlands services will move to the east Belfast facility in January.

Julian Carr, Managing Director, bmibaby, said: "Our new frequent service from Belfast City to Stansted will provide convenient links to London from the heart of Belfast.

"We currently offer a range of domestic routes from Belfast to key UK regions and this new London route will complement these services providing our customers with even more choice.

"With up to 16 services a week with convenient flight times, this route will be ideal for both business and leisure customers wishing to travel to London."

Also commenting, Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, Chief Executive Officer, British Midland International said: "The new bmibaby route to Stansted Airport will complement bmi's service to Heathrow.

"Our customers will now have the choice of a full service carrier to Heathrow, or a low cost offering to Stansted Airport.

"The bmi group will now offer up to 105 flights a week from Belfast City to London and the UK regions."

Katy Best, Business Development Director at George Best Belfast City Airport commented on the announcement: "Belfast City Airport to Stansted has been one of the most popular routes served in the last few years, and bmibaby's announcement is an early Christmas present for the NI traveller."

NI Tourism Minister Arlene Foster also welcomed the news that flights for the new route will replace that vacated by Ryanair in September this year.

"Air access is critical to restoring visitor growth from the Great Britain market. Bmibaby's new route is a very positive factor working in favour of Tourism Ireland's plans to promote Northern Ireland in the Great Britain market, next year.

"Northern Ireland's tourism package is continually growing with Titanic and Maritime Belfast, the Giant's Causeway, Antrim and the Causeway Coast, the Mournes, the Walled City of Londonderry - our UK City of Culture for 2013, and St Patrick and Christian Heritage all coming on stream and positioning us well for future tourism growth," she said.

(BMcC/GK)