United Airlines

[Jerry]

£9 million! That's one big subsidy! Should've gotten more than 3 years at least 5! I read something about the Delta wanting £1.5 million a year to fly from CWL in 2011. They'll have to do a lot of promotion and advertising to make it work and become sustainable in 3 years time.

 

[Jerry]

It does smack of unfair rules.

I know Paul Kehoe went apocalyptic when he thought MAN had received £12m to get Hainan in, but that was a range of tourism activities about promoting the whole of the north and north west to the Chinese audience, it was never ever £12m singularly for the Hainan airlines route.

This BFS fund seems to be directly funding the UA route, which, under scrutiny may be illegal and could be challenged, but of course, we cannot jump to those conclusions just yet as we don't know the full details.

If people had believed Paul Kehoe about Manchester then it could have been the start of something bad, so it's only fair I afford BFS the same courtesy.

Could be considered the same as the WAG providing a route fund for CWL and Flybe? They probably will spin it as an economic necessity for Northern Irish buisness and to promote growth. I wouldn't be surprised if the WAG will be looking closely at how they get away with it!

 

[juliet-fox-9]

BBC have confirmed that BFS-EWR will be axed after the subsidy was blocked.

Belfast International Airport said the flight is going because the European Commission blocked the funding package on state aid grounds.

The European Commission has said EU rules do not allow public authorities to grant a specific airline an "undue advantage".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-37834823

 

[Aviador]

It's a tough one I know but it is the right decision. There are several UK regions that could claim equal right to such funding. As the EU puts it, it gives the airline a "unique advantage". Even with the UK out of the EU, I don't believe it would be fair to give the Belfast airport an advantage over other UK regions.