Virgin Atlantic launches first Belfast, Orlando summer route

Virgin Atlantic has launched its first summer service between Belfast and Orlando and said strong demand for the service, which will carry 1,800 passengers over four weeks this year, has convinced it to operate the route again in 2016.

Joe Thompson, senior vice president of network and alliances at Virgin Atlantic, said the size of the market in the North did not warrant an all-year service but he said the initial response to the route had been very positive.

Mr Thompson said Virgin's focus was solely on the Belfast to Orlando route at this time - according to Virgin it has been one of its fastest selling routes - and he did not suggest that the airline would look at introducing other new routes from Northern Ireland.

He also ruled out any immediate prospect of Virgin Atlantic considering a similar service between Dublin and Orlando but Mr Thompson said there “are a number of markets that we are looking at”.

Graham Keddie, managing director of Belfast International Airport believes the new Virgin Atlantic service delivers more choice for travellers in the North.

Recent passenger figures from Dublin Airport showed a record number of people from Northern Ireland chose to travel from Dublin last year with American routes among the most popular destinations.

Mr Keddie believes that the Northern Ireland Executive should introduce measures to “level the playing field” when it comes to competing for passengers on the island.

Every passenger that departs from an airport in the North must pay Air Passenger Duty; although this was abolished by the North’s Executive on all long haul flights it remains on short-haul tickets.In the South there is no equivalent tax.

Mr Keddie said with “more support from Stormont” Belfast International Airport would be able to attract more airlines who would introduce more new routes.