Hopes are fading that a replacement airline might be found to continue flights on the route between Belfast International Airport and Amsterdam, which KLM UK has said it will not operate beyond the end of October.

Last year, more than 140,000 people flew on the thrice-daily service, with more than 60 per cent using Amsterdam Schipol as a hub for onward travel with the airline's parent company, KLM.

The airline blames "low yields" on its Belfast service, and that a high proportion of passengers to Schipol fly on to the US, routes where over-capacity has led to a sharp fall in profit margins.