Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Regional Air Connectivity Fund has been used to support air links to and from Northern Ireland since that fund was created.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The Regional Air Connectivity Fund has not currently been used to support air links to and from Northern Ireland.

The fund can be used maintain existing domestic air connectivity to London where there is a risk that an existing link may be lost, and to provide financial support to develop new routes from airports of less than five million passengers per year.

Northern Ireland is well-connected by air to London with over 18,000 flights per year between the two Belfast airports and the five main London airports, carrying over two million passengers. The first use of this fund was announced earlier this summer to protect the air route between Dundee and London through a Public Service Obligation.

With regards to providing Start-up aid for new routes, the Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to develop guidance that will clarify how the Government will expect to interpret the European Union State aid guidelines on start-up aid for new air routes. The Department for Transport expects to publish this guidance in the autumn.