Aer Lingus to establish base at Belfast Airport

Aer Lingus is to begin flights to eight destinations, including flights to Amsterdam, Heathrow, and other major European cities from Belfast International Airport.

The Irish flag-carrier will base three A320 aircraft at the Northern Ireland hub and offer connections to Heathrow, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Geneva, Rome, Budapest, Malaga and Faro.

Flights to Amsterdam (14 per week), Barcelona (5 per week) and Geneva (2 per week) will begin on December 10.

Flights to London Heathrow will take place 21 times per week, beginning on January 14 next year.

Flights to Rome (4 per week), Budapest (3 per week), Malaga (4 per week) and Faro (3 per week) will start on February 25.

Dermot Mannion, Aer Lingus' chief executive, said: "The opening of our new base at BFS is a significant and ground-breaking move for Aer Lingus. This decision reflects our commitment to delivering profitable growth, low fares for customers and value for shareholders."

The new routes could potentially carry up to one million new passengers each year.

In order to make way for the Heathrow service, Aer Lingus has decided to scrap its Shannon to Heathrow service (see related Cheapflights story).

Ryanair, which owns 25 per cent of Aer Lingus, has called on Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern to persuade Aer Lingus to reverse its decision and keep the Shannon to Heathrow route.

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