Flybe Unveils Plans for Belfast Airport

Budget airline Flybe is planning to add new routes direct from Northern Ireland to Mainland Europe.

The proposed expansion was revealed today as the airline announced a new three times a day service between Belfast City airport and Manchester to start in January.

Passengers could soon fly directly from Belfast to regional airports in France and Spain with Bordeaux, Bergerac and Limoges in France and Alicante, Murcia, Malaga and Almeira in Spain being named as possible destinations.

The new routes could be operating by April 2007 when Flybe would be using a new mid-range Embraer 105 aircraft.

Mike Rutter, Flybe's chief commercial officer, said: "In the longer term we will also be looking at the possibility of direct flights from Belfast to Palma in Majorca and to Faro in Portugal.

"We feel that with the growth in the second home market that there is scope for more direct flights from Belfast to the Continent."

The airline currently operates ski charter flights during winter weekends but the new routes would be the first scheduled flights to the continent.

Mr Rutter also announced that Flybe would run a new service from Manchester to Exeter, and that the airline had plans to operate another six routes out of Manchester over the course of the next two years.