Coronavirus: NI-Great Britain sea link ‘probably carrying more people than airlines’

Stena Line, which runs out of Belfast harbour to Cairnryan and Liverpool, has told the News Letter that whilst both passenger numbers and freight are down there is still enough of the latter to keep the normal roster of sailings going.

It has six return sailings to Cairnryan on Friday, and two to Liverpool.

P&O, which operates from Larne to Cairnryan, said it has altered its timetables but did not give a clear indication of the changes in passenger or freight volumes.

A spokesman for Stenaline said: “There’s no change in service at the minute, though it’s being reviewed all the time. We saw a jump in trade originally when everybody was stockpiling.”

Business volumes have since reduced due to the “lockdown”, he said, but sailings stayed the same.

“It’s down to our customers in the logistics industry – they still have orders that need to be fulfilled,” he said.

“We are absolutely crucial. Our workers now on those ferries, they’re designated key workers...

“BA have just left 36,000 staff on furlough today. Ryanair is hardly running is it? No EasyJet out of Belfast anymore. I’d say we probably are carrying more people than the airlines are. But the passenger numbers are very down. The key is freight.”

By contrast Belfast International Airport, at midday today, was showing no flights at all on its arrivals/departures board.

A spokeswoman for the international airport said it remains open 24 hours a day, but with no passenger flights.

They only handle “emergency medical and cargo operations” which are bringing in “vital supplies” – with remaining flights run by UPS, Fed EX, Royal Mail, HL, and WoodGate.

Belfast George Best City Airport meanwhile, was operating a ‘normal’ passenger service – but only to London.

A spokeswoman for the city airport said “schedules are changing all the time,” but that British Airways and Aer Lingus are each operating one return flight daily to Heathrow, several times a week.

City of Derry Airport is continuing to operate an air link to GB, with Loganair running a ‘normal’ passenger flight to and from London Southend daily.

While Dublin Airport says passenger numbers are down 95% compared to the same week last year, it was still showing 21 departures and 22 arrivals at midday today to places as far apart as Moscow, Reykjavik, London and New York.

Some are ‘normal’ passenger flights, but many of them are being used to repatriate Irish citizens (it is difficult to say how many trips are repatriations and how many are ‘normal’ passengers).

The airport is running to “ensure the import and export of vital medical supplies and other essential goods and cargo”.

Coach firms Aircoach and Dublin Coach have both suspended their services from Belfast.

Bus Eireann is continuing to run between the Irish capital and NI.

Translink is still running Goldliner coaches cross-broder, as well as its Belfast-Dublin Enterprise train, but at a reduced frequency.

There are four Enterprise trains in each direction each day, eight Belfast-Dublin Goldliner in each direction, and three Goldline coach services each way between Londonderry and Dublin.