Galway is be linked by air to Belfast up to 18 times a week from this July, it was announced this week. Designed to stimulate commerce and tourism between the two cities, Manx2.com is to operate a twice-daily commuter service most weekdays, re-opening air links between Belfast and the West of Ireland.
The airline will operate 18 flights per week, including a full service on Sunday evenings. Fares will start from £39 each way including taxes and charges. Manx2.com Chairman Noel Hayes said: “We have enormous confidence in the long term prospects for the island of Ireland and are confident in expanding our award winning Celtic services from Belfast. This important airlink should really benefit the business communities and increase accessibility to the huge marketplace in the West of Ireland.
“Our frequent schedule re-opens direct air links between Ireland's second and fifth largest cities, eliminating a five hour road or rail journey and giving invaluable encouragement to business and leisure passengers travelling between these great cities and their surrounding areas.
“Following extensive research, we believe this new route will suit business and leisure travellers. Our one-hour flights will mean the business traveller can now get to Galway and back the same day and we believe this sort of economic stimulus will really help the economy recover. Belfast is also such a cosmopolitan city today, with great shopping and leisure facilities while the benefits of a cheap pound should encourage many northbound shoppers. For southbound travellers, the world famous Galway Races and Galway Oyster Festival will be just a short hop away.
Belfast International Airport Business Development Director, Uel Hoey, said: “We are delighted that Manx2.com is to introduce our first inter-Ireland route. This brings greater choice and connectivity to the island market. Belfast International operates scheduled and charter services to almost 80 destinations and, clearly, the new Galway route opens up new opportunities for West of Ireland passengers. The service is a valued addition to our range of routes and one that we think will prove popular with both the business community and the leisure traveller”.
The Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB ), Alan Clarke, said ” “It is great news for tourism in Northern Ireland that Manx2 have introduced a direct service from Belfast International to Galway. The opening up of more routes means that there’s a greater ease of access for visitors from the Republic of Ireland. This is one of our key markets and last year we were delighted to see a huge increase in the number of visitors from the Republic. These visitors arrived, not only because of the great value for money on offer, but also because of the huge range of things to see and do here. I wish Manx2 luck for future business and look forward to welcoming even more visitors.” Manx2.com employs 60 staff and has a fleet of seven aircraft providing up to 30 flights a day to the Isle of Man. Its customer services, reservations and operations departments are all based in the new hangar facility at Ronaldsway Airport. Manx2.com is an Isle of Man based company carrying 100,000 passengers a year between the Isle of Man and Blackpool, Belfast, Leeds Bradford, East Midlands, Newcastle, Gloucester and Jersey. It has recently been voted the Island’s best small company for the second time in three years at the annual IOM Newspapers Excellence Awards.
