§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the debate on Northern Ireland on 22 March (H.L. Deb., col. 358), what support they are giving, on an ongoing basis, to Belfast International Airport to compete with Dublin Airport in attracting direct international services? [HL1985]
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston)The Government do not provide direct marketing support for Belfast84WA International Airport, which is a profitable private sector enterprise. But they are always happy to draw attention during international air services agreement negotiations to the potential advantages of serving Belfast. There are no legal constraints on air carriers wishing to start up services between Belfast and another EEA destination. The Government have also offered access to all regional airports, including those serving Belfast, to their bilateral partners, provided reciprocal treatment is permitted to UK carriers. I understand that the Northern Ireland Tourist Board markets the Belfast airports as gateways to the Province.