New arrival at Belfast City Airport ‘links’ Northern Ireland with Doncaster Sheffield

Passengers in Northern Ireland will once again be able to avail of direct flights to Doncaster-Sheffield Airport thanks to a new arrival at George Best Belfast City Airport.

The service between Belfast City Airport and Robin Hood Doncaster-Sheffield Airport will be operated by UK regional airline, LinksAir, and will commence on Friday 11th April 2014.

The new airline was welcomed to Northern Ireland by Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister, Arlene Foster, who said: “The re-establishment of the air link between Belfast and Sheffield is great news for Northern Ireland.

“It not only strengthens our own access to the north of England and the greater east midlands, but also makes it easier for people to get to Northern Ireland for business or a holiday.

“Belfast City Airport transported over 2.5 million passengers in 2013, making it one of the busiest years in their history, and I look forward to working with the airport and its airline partners as we welcome more visitors to the region throughout 2014.”

The announcement was also welcomed by Tourism Ireland. Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said:

“The introduction of this new LinksAir flight is really good news; it will certainly expand travel options for holidaymakers in the north of England who wish to visit Northern Ireland.

“As an island destination, the importance of convenient, direct flights cannot be overstated; we know there is a proven direct correlation between access and growth in visitor numbers. We look forward to co-operating with LinksAir and George Best Belfast City Airport, to maximise the promotion of this new service.”

Ellie McGimpsey, Business Development Manager at Belfast City Airport, said:

“On behalf of everyone at Belfast City Airport I extend a very warm welcome to LinksAir.

“I am thrilled to announce that a frequent connection to Sheffield will once again available for passengers in Northern Ireland. The popular route has been missed in recent years by both leisure and business passengers alike.

“With Belfast City Airport just minutes from Belfast City Centre and Doncaster-Sheffield Airport located less than an hour’s drive from cities such as York, Sheffield, and Hull, this new connection provides passengers with quick, direct access to the east midlands.

“At Belfast City Airport, we regularly invest in our own facilities to enhance the customer experience and will continue to work closely with our partner airlines to develop our already strong route network and ensure connectivity to key UK and European destinations.”

The Belfast City – Doncaster-Sheffield will be just one of two commercial routes operated by LinksAir.

LinksAir Commercial Manager, Roger Hage, commented:

“We, at LinksAir, are delighted to announce services from Belfast City to Robin Hood Doncaster-Sheffield Airport and I am confident this will be well supported with opportunities for future expansion.

“Belfast is an exciting, vibrant city to visit and connectivity to Northern Ireland is increasingly important for Sheffield, which is the UK’s fifth biggest city, and the surrounding South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Humber regions.

“The schedule offers passengers a choice of convenient flight times to travel between the two destinations, whether it be for business or leisure.

“Flights start at just £64 one way and, unlike almost every other airline, this includes all taxes and charges, a hold bag of up to 15kg, fast-track security access at Belfast City Airport, seat selection as well as a complimentary refreshment and newspaper on board.”

Flights can be booked now through www.linksair.co.uk or by contacting LinksAir on 0844 800 2411.

For more information about the routes operated from Belfast City Airport please visit www.belfastcityairport.com