City Airport Extension Plan Flies Into Trouble

There's a row brewing over plans to extend Belfast's second airport.

The head of Belfast International Airport has today demanded a public inquiry into the call for a runway extension at the rival George Best Belfast City Airport.

John Doran described last week's application to increase the length of its runway by about a third as "a retrograde step". He was commenting on the planning application - lodged last week - that would extend the runway by 590 metres in the direction of Belfast Lough.

City's Chief Executive, Brian Ambrose, said the growth of both airports "was great news for the Northern Ireland economy" and noted that the extension would allow planes to fly further to new destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean.

However, on Tuesday, Mr Doran - speaking from Aldergrove's long established international hub - said it was "entirely incompatible with the present and future economic interests of Northern Ireland".

The plans to extend the runway are also being bitterly opposed by residents' groups in the area, even though the extension won't mean any more flights or bigger aircraft, but instead enable airlines such as Ryanair and the planes it uses to fly with more passengers and heavier fuel loads.

Residents reacted angrily to the news and want a public inquiry, saying they will fight the plans all the way.

Belfast City Airport Watch, an umbrella organisation for residents' groups, said the runway extension would constitute an "irreversible nightmare" for east and south Belfast - which lies under the flight path.

"We're calling on the Environment Minister, Sammy Wilson, to put the quality of life of local people first," BCAW's spokesperson Fiona McKinley said.

"Whatever assurances the airport may provide, the fact remains that there's nothing to stop airlines using big jets on all 48,000 of its permitted annual flights," Ms McKinley said.

George Best Belfast City Airport is the only one of three EU-designated 'city airports' where airlines are allowed to fly jets as big as the Boeing 737-800 currently operated by Ryanair at the airport, so the planned extension looks like a deciding factor in business development.

While Ryanair is still a relatively small operator at the east Belfast airport, presently only flying to four airports in Britain, it has signalled its intention to fly to European destinations if and when the runway is it is extended.

On a recent visit to Belfast, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said his airline would introduce international services for the summer of 2010 if the runway were extended in time.

(BMcC)