23
July
2020
|
12:44
Europe/Amsterdam

Manchester Airport announces Manchester-Belfast City Airport route from 14 September

Summary

Stobart Air, operator of Aer Lingus Regional, to base five ATR72-600 aircraft at Belfast City Airport

Airline to operate up to 4 daily return flights from Manchester

Commenting on the announcement, Julian Carr, Aviation Director for Manchester Airport, said: “It’s great to see that flights to Belfast City will return to Manchester Airport, giving our passengers greater choice and flexibility when accessing the capital of Northern Ireland.”

Manchester Airport is to see the introduction of a service to Belfast City Airport from 14 September 2020 it was announced today.

Stobart Air, operator of Aer Lingus Regional, will base five ATR72-600 aircraft at Belfast City Airport.

The airline will operate up to 4 daily return flights from Manchester Airport to Belfast City Airport with fares starting from £29.99 one way including taxes.

Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Stobart Air, operates three routes from Manchester including Dublin, Cork and now Belfast City.

Stobart Air, following guidance from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), has implemented a number of enhanced health and safety measures to protect staff, crew and passengers. New measures include:

 

 

 

 

Enhanced aircraft cleaning:

To ensure the wellbeing of our passengers and crew, enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures have been introduced for the aircraft cabin, which are in addition to the existing aircraft cleaning schedule. Each aircraft, including seats, armrests and tray tables will be subject to a daily disinfection process which provides surface protection from viruses for 24 hours.

On board measures:

Face coverings or masks are mandatory on all flights operated by Stobart Air for customers and cabin crew respectively, with the exception of small children and those who are unable to wear a face mask for medical reasons. The face coverings can be in the form of a reusable cloth mask or a disposable mask and it is recommended that these are worn from the time passengers enter the departure airport to the time they leave their destination airport.

Initially, when flights resume, the in-flight service will be suspended to reduce interaction between our crew and passengers. Passengers will be encouraged to remain seated while on board.

At the airport:

Stobart Air have introduced new boarding and disembarkation procedures to reduce passenger interaction. Passengers will board and disembark the aircraft in small groups and according to seat row numbers. At the boarding gate, customers will scan their own boarding card and show their passport or ID to the staff member, making this process contactless.

Commenting on the announcement, Stobart Air Managing Director Andy Jolly said:

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Stobart Air has been challenged and we have worked hard over the past number of months to protect our airline and to position us for the future, once restrictions ease and passenger demand increases.

“Working with Belfast City Airport and Manchester Airport, along with our partners, Aer Lingus we are pleased to establish a base at Belfast City to service flights to Manchester.

“High frequency day-return flights from Manchester to Belfast City Airport will cater for both business and leisure travellers for direct, convenient and cost-effective flights.

We continuously strive to provide our passengers with frequent, convenient and affordable services. We look forward to welcoming our passengers on board this new route from Manchester from 14 September.”

Julian Carr, Aviation Director for Manchester Airport, said,

It’s great to see that flights to Belfast City will return to Manchester Airport, giving our passengers greater choice and flexibility when accessing the capital of Northern Ireland. I imagine they will be extremely popular with both leisure and business passengers looking to access the city.

“Furthermore, the flights will also provide excellent onward connectivity for the people of Northern Ireland, who will have easy access to our international long haul network.”

Flights from Manchester to Belfast start from £29.99 one way including taxes and are on sale now at www.aerlingus.com.

ENDS

Notes to editor:

Aer Lingus Regional Manchester-Belfast flights will operate up to 4 times daily. The flight schedule is as follows:

Mon – Sat

 

Airport

Departure time

Airport

Arrival time

 Belfast

06:35

Manchester

07:40

Manchester

08:25

Belfast

09:35

Daily

 

Airport

Departure time

Airport

Arrival time

 Belfast

10:10

Manchester

11:05

Manchester

11:45

Belfast

12:45

Daily excluding Saturday

 

Airport

Departure time

Airport

Arrival time

 Belfast

15:00

Manchester

16:05

Manchester

16:40

Belfast

17:50

Daily excluding Saturday

Airport

Departure time

Airport

Arrival time

 Belfast

18:35

Manchester

19:40

Manchester

20:10

Belfast

21:20

About Stobart Air

Pre-Covid, Stobart Air, operator of Aer Lingus Regional, operated over 900 flights weekly across 30 routes throughout Ireland, the UK and Western Europe.

Flying has been reduced as a result of reduced demand and in line with official travel guidelines during the pandemic.

The airline operates a fleet of 15 aircraft from Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Kerry and Donegal airports in Ireland, as well as operating across 13 UK airports. These key routes improve connectivity, choice and flexibility for both business and leisure travellers.