Aer Lingus Regional launches new Edinburgh route

By Connor Stringer

Aer Lingus Regional has launched a new route from George Best Belfast City Airport to Edinburgh, the airline has announced.

This service, operated by Stobart Air, will connect passengers from Northern Ireland to the Scottish capital up to three times daily.

Edinburgh is the first of six new routes that Aer Lingus Regional will commence from Belfast City, with Birmingham, East Midlands, Exeter, Leeds Bradford and Manchester to follow in a phased approach, in line with passenger demand and Government guidance.

Katy Best, Commercial Director at Belfast City Airport, said:“Edinburgh has always been a very popular route from Belfast City, and we are delighted Aer Lingus Regional has re-established this service since it was left vacant by Flybe.

The inaugural service was operated on an ATR72-600 aircraft, of which five are now based at Belfast City Airport and will be used to service the six new routes.

“Like many industries, the aviation market has had a challenging 2020 in light of Covid-19. However, ensuring essential connectivity remains in place was a key priority for us and that is what we have achieved with Aer Lingus Regional.

“Having already enjoyed eight successful years with Aer Lingus on our London Heathrow service, we are looking forward to working with the airline again, in partnership with Stobart Air, to further grow and strengthen our route network.”

In March, Europe’s largest regional airline Flybe, collapsed into administration with the loss of more than 2,000 jobs, less than two months after the government announced a rescue deal.

Commenting on the new route, Stobart Air Managing Director Andy Jolly said: “We are pleased to establish a base at Belfast City Airport and to work closely with Edinburgh Airport, Belfast City Airport and our partners Aer Lingus to operate flights to and from Belfast.

“Stobart Air has worked hard over the past number of months to protect our airline during challenging times and to position us for the future. The launch of this service from Belfast is part of that.

“This new Aer Lingus Regional route will facilitate key links and connectivity between Belfast and Edinburgh and will ensure we provide choice, value and convenience for our customers. We look forward to welcoming our passengers on board this new Belfast-Edinburgh route.”

Stobart Air, following guidance from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), has implemented a number of enhanced health and safety measures to protect staff, crew and passengers.

These include enhanced aircraft cleaning, mandatory face coverings/masks on all flights with the exception of children under the age of six and those who are unable to wear a face mask for medical reasons as well as boarding and disembarking in small groups.