News from May 2006

Continental Airlines Celebrates First Anniversary of Belfast-New York Service

Published: 31 May 2006

Continental Airlines, the world's sixth largest airline and winner of the Best Executive/Business Class award at the OAG Airline of the Year Awards 2006, is celebrating the first anniversary of its non-stop service between Belfast and New York/Newark.

The airline offers the only year-round scheduled non-stop trans-Atlantic service from Northern Ireland.

Since its launch on 27 May 2005, Continental's Belfast to New York service has carried approximately 85,000 passengers, an estimated 40 per cent of whom have been inbound U.S. passengers visiting Northern Ireland on business or leisure trips.

Commenting on the anniversary, Bob Schumacher, Continental's Senior Director U.K. and Ireland, said: "We are very pleased with the performance of the Belfast-New York service during its first year of operation, and forward bookings are encouraging. This is clearly a service that Northern Ireland has been waiting for, and we are delighted to be the provider!"

John Doran, Managing Director of Belfast International Airport, said: "The Continental Belfast to New York service was a landmark development for us.

"We are delighted the service has performed so well and we will continue to work closely with the airline to successfully build on this route, which allows local travellers direct access into the USA and provides US visitors with direct, non-stop access into the North of Ireland without having to trek to Dublin or endure the congestion and downtime associated with going over London Heathrow."

Bill McGinnis, Chairman of Invest Northern Ireland's Air Route Development company, said: "Continental Airlines' scheduled service to New York is a tremendous asset in terms of opportunities it is providing to develop export business to, and inbound tourism from, the U.S.  Furthermore, it has become an important factor in Invest NI's drive to attract knowledge-led inward investment from the U.S.

"Attracting a scheduled service between Northern Ireland and the U.S. was a key objective of the Air Route Development company and we were delighted when Continental agreed to launch what has proved to be an immensely popular service.  We expect the route to continue to grow in popularity as our relationships with the U.S. increase and more people there recognise the tremendous opportunities that Northern Ireland offers business investors and tourists."