Aer Lingus launches from Belfast

Belfast International Airport passengers will have access to more destinations across the UK and Europe from this week with the launch of new services from Aer Lingus.

The carrier will launch its first flights from the Northern Ireland hub today, with Heathrow, Barcelona, Geneva and Amsterdam among the destinations to be served.

Aer Lingus' decision to fly from Belfast was a controversial one, which brought the threat of a strike that was narrowly avoided last month.

The carrier is confident that its new operations will be a success, however, and has predicted passenger numbers of 500,000 in the first year of service, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

Chief executive Dermot Mannion said: "On our advance bookings we are already across the 50,000 booking threshold, which represents ten per cent of our target.

"The demand for all routes is encouraging and we are already getting passengers booking online for services next summer."

Travellers using Belfast International Airport have seen routes to continental Europe rise from just a single service three years ago to more than 30 direct flights today.

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