Gareth Scott, Unite Regional Officer

Management must now seek to build on this success to further develop City of Derry as a regional airhub

Speaking on behalf of his union’s members in City of Derry airport, Gareth Scott, Regional Officer for Unite welcomed confirmation that Loganair airline would be taking on the Stansted route from the airport from BMI Regional (FlyBMI), which previously operated the Derry to London service.

“This evening’s announcement came after workers left City of Derry early today but will be a huge relief to those who feared for their jobs as a consequence of the fact that BMI Regional (FlyBMI) had gone into administration over the weekend. The Stansted service is central to the long-term viability of the City of Derry airport.

“Given the fact that an airline has agreed to take on the Derry-Stanstead route and the confirmation that its PSO status will be extended to 2021, this represents a tremendous platform for future growth. This provides the perfect spring-board for City of Derry to seek additional flights into the airport and securing its place as a leading regional air-hub. This is good news for Derry/Londonderry and for the northwest in particular”, Mr Scott concluded.