The Northern Ireland Economy Minister, Conor Murphy has announced funding to protect the continuation of the flights from the City of Derry Airport (CoDA) to London Heathrow. The route, which is jointly funded by the Department for Transport and the Department for the Economy, provides critical connectivity from the north-west to London. The funding of GBP£1.018m begins on the 1st of April 2024 for one year, with airline Loganair set to continue operating 20 return flights a week. In 2017 the UK Department of Transport granted a Public Service Obligation (PSO) for the route between the City of Derry and London Heathrow. The route began in May 2017.
Commenting on the announcement, the Minister, Conor Murphy said, “Funding this route between City of Derry Airport and London Heathrow was an early priority for me as Economy Minister. The route connects the North West to London which helps thousands of people to travel to work and conduct business. This investment also protects jobs for airport workers and their families. I look forward to working with the airport and my colleague, the Minister for Infrastructure, John O’Dowd, to develop CoDA as part of building the North West economy.”
Welcoming the announcement, the City of Derry Airport Managing Director, Steve Frazer said, “Continuation of the connectivity from City of Derry Airport to London Heathrow is vital for the Northwest region to support our economic growth, improving both our business and tourism opportunities. Coupled with the fastest and most convenient access to central London, the route also provides onward connectivity to 119 destinations across 56 countries. With this core route now secured thanks to Minister Murphy’s announcement today, improved regional connectivity will help drive our inward investment and growth opportunities across the Northwest. We also very much welcome the visit of Minister O’Dowd, and look forward to working with his department to finalise a support package which will ensure the airport continues to contribute to the economic growth of our region for some years to come, something which has not been possible to achieve without Minister in place.”
