International passenger numbers rise at City of Derry Airport while new Easyjet routes to lift off soon

The jump in numbers comes one year on from the launch of international single-ticket fares from City of Derry Airport, as part of the take-off of the Loganair London Heathrow service offering the new hub connectivity. Airport bosses said the increase indicated a new wave of global travellers using the airport, with the top connecting destinations outlined as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, and the top connecting airlines shown as British Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.

The good news comes just months after two new routes to Liverpool and Edinburgh were announced with operator Easyjet, to commence in November. As well as the Loganair London Heathrow route and international routes, the airport offers Ryanair flights to and from Manchester and Birmingham and a Loganair service to and from Glasgow.

The new Edinburgh and Liverpool Easyjet routes will commence on Monday, November 4 and bookings are now open via https://www.easyjet.com/en

Speaking about the increase in international travellers, Steve Frazer, Managing Director at City of Derry Airport, said: “It’s wonderful to see travellers across the North West enjoying the benefits of flying local to an array of bucket-list destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australasia.

“Passengers can drop their baggage at City of Derry, breeze through London Heathrow, and collect their baggage at their final destination. There is also increased baggage allowance as the international airline’s baggage permissions apply throughout the journey.

“In terms of planning international travel, passengers can simply book single-ticket fares via the international airline website, or via a local travel agent. Full information on all destinations and the airline carriers available to book for each destination is shown on the City of Derry Airport website: www.cityofderryairport.com/destinations/international-connections.”

Brenda Morgan MBE, Head of Business Development at City of Derry Airport, added: “With reduced journey time to the Airport, savings on parking – you can park for a week from just £34.58 - and less than 15 minutes from the car park to the departure gate, we can assure our passengers of a fast, friendly and convenient start to their trip. Our Airport team also offer amazing support for passengers with reduced mobility and pre-visits are available for anyone with hidden disabilities, or anyone who may be nervous in advance of travel.”

"At City of Derry Airport, we pride ourselves on doing everything we can to ensure our passengers’ travel experience is as stress-free as possible.”

Anna Doherty, Chief Executive at Derry Chamber of Commerce, said on Wednesday: “A major aim for growth in Derry and the Northwest is that the region becomes a hub for both corporate travel and corporate tourism. The statistics released today, specifically those of the connecting cities, show that City of Derry Airport is playing a crucial role in attracting that corporate traffic to the region.”

"We look forward to the Airport further increasing these figures again, as we are sure they will, and the associated increase of footfall in the region this growth will bring with it.”

“It is great news to see that international passenger numbers have tripled at City of Derry Airport in the space of a year. Such significant increases in the number of people passing through our airport and city are a testament to the work the Airport has done in getting people into the Northwest through its offering of both new services and international single-ticket fares."

The top 10 connecting cities have been confirmed as: Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Berlin, Geneva, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Delhi and Paris.

The top connecting airlines meanwhile are: British Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and KLM. Additional international airlines available to book single-ticket fares with: Air France, Cathay Pacific, Ethiopian Airlines, Finnair, Icelandair, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines.

For more information on international travel from City of Derry Airport, visit www.cityofderryairport.com.