Airport Plan Wings Its Way To Approval

A modified planning agreement between the Department of the Environment and George Best Belfast City Airport was announced today.

The deal will see the number of passenger seats permitted to be sold annually rise to a huge two million although a cap on flight numbers will be imposed.

Under the terms of the modified agreement the 'Total Air Traffic Movements' are to be capped for the first time at 48,000 per year, although this figure covers both scheduled and non-scheduled air traffic movements and is up from 45,000 at present.

The 'Seats for Sale' cap will be increased from 1.5 million to two million with the requirement that a forecasting and scrutiny system should be established and that noise and track keeping equipment as part of a new radar system should be installed.

This will provide detailed information on noise and flight patterns associated with airport operations and will be monitored on a regular basis.

NI Environment Minister Sammy Wilson said: "The modified Planning Agreement represents the outcome of a lengthy, open and transparent review including consultation with Belfast City Council and North Down Borough Council plus the Airport Forum which includes representatives of the local residents' groups.

"Careful consideration has been given to all representations that have been made and I am satisfied that the modified agreement represents a balance between the concerns of the local residents and the economic benefits generated by the airport."

The modified agreement followed an Examination in Public (EiP) in 2006 on the key issues to allow public debate on a number of matters.

The EiP report was submitted to the Department in August 2006 with a number of recommendations and suggestions on how best to proceed.

Plans to extend the runway at City Airport - which recently passed to new owners - are also well advanced, although there remains significant opposition from residents over the impact of increased traffic on noise, pollution and the increased danger of an air accident.

Earlier this week Michael O'Leary, the boss of discount airline, Ryanair, which flies from the airport said that if no runway extension was forthcoming that would mean "Ryanair would expand at other locations" instead of develop its operations at Belfast.

Currently, Ryanair planes take off without a full load as the runway isn't long enough to cope with a full passenger list on its aircraft.

He also said that competition between airlines was increasing but that was driving down prices, and he remained committed to low price seats.

His comments come soon after Belfast City Airport was sold, last month, for £132.5m to the ABN AMRO Global Infrastructure Fund.

With the sale, the vendors more than trebled their money in five years.

In 2003, the Spanish Ferrovial Group, which has its headquarters in Madrid, bought the airport for £35m.

See: Is Runway Extension 'Key' To Belfast Airport Sale?

(BMcC)