Last year the route was London City Airport’s fastest growing, up 14.7 percent year-on-year. A total of 210,936 passengers took advantage of the convenient connection between the two capital cities in 2019.
The restoration of the route has been welcomed by Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis.
“This is excellent news for Northern Ireland and the connectivity of the entire United Kingdom. It is crucial to the recovery of the economy that vital air passenger services to and from London and Belfast City Airport are maintained. I am delighted that this popular and well established route will once again be open for business”
And business leaders from Glasgow and Belfast have applauded the launch of Loganair’s new service between the two cities, also replacing a former Flybe route.
Glasgow Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stuart Patrick crossed the Irish Sea on the first flight from his city’s airport and was greeted at George Best Belfast City Airport by Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Ann McGregor. Also on the first flight were Loganair chief executive Jonathan Hinkles and chief commercial officer Kay Ryan.
The service, a double daily Monday to Friday and on Sundays with a single flight on Saturdays, operates using a 49-seat Embraer 145 regional jet, something of a step up from the Dash 8 turbo props which used to work the route.
The weekday timetable from Monday through Thursday has departures from Glasgow at 07.15 and 16.00 and from Belfast at 08.30 and 17.15 – allowing for business meetings to take place in either city before a return flight home.
On Fridays the first flight from Glasgow is at 13.15, leaving Belfast at 14.40, with the Sunday departure from Glasgow at 12.45 and 18.30 and from Belfast at 14.05 and 19.50. The Saturday flight repeats the same departure times as the first flight midweek.
The Glasgow-based airline already flies from Belfast City to Aberdeen and Inverness, and a service to Dundee starts on September 18.
Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive for the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce; Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive at Belfast City Airport; Ann McGregor, Chief Executive for the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce; and Johnathan Hinkles, Chief Executive for Loganair.
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