Council to seek government finance for City of Derry airport after 2021

City of Derry Airport offers customers five key routes across the UK including London, Glasgow and Manchester, Edinburgh and Liverpool.

The council has reported that the airport provides an overall estimated annual GVA to the Northern Ireland economy of £14.2m and says that it is “working very proactively on route development to build on this foundation and improve links to the North West to open up the gateway to the city and region”.

The council says that additional government funding for a minimum six-year period would assist in retaining this connectivity to key destinations in the UK beyond the 31 March 2021, while essential rail infrastructure investment across the North West is progressed, in particular the A6 and A5.

The council believes that the airport has a pivotal role to play contributing to the delivery of a number of priorities outlined in a series of key relevant government strategies including the draft Programme for Government, Regional Development Strategy, draft Industrial Strategy for Northern Ireland and the move will “protect investment in the region, build confidence in its ability to deliver as a centre for business and promote further interest in the North West”.