British Government subsidy to help revive regional and international flights

Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill backs routes to bring new business and visitors for whole country.

Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill has welcomed the new domestic and international routes that will start in 2016 from regional airports across the UK. The Chancellor announced in last week’s Spending Review that 11 successful bidders had been awarded support from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund. These new flights will offer fast journey times within the UK and also introduce new routes to Europe for the first time.

Robert Goodwill said: 

“Our smaller airports are vital engines for local economies, connecting the UK and opening up opportunities. That is why the government is backing new regional air routes to drive investment and benefit hardworking people across the country”.

The start-up aid bidding competition was open to airports with fewer than 5 million passengers per year and allows air routes that are not currently commercially viable today to be introduced early, giving time for airlines to build passenger numbers and deliver a more sustainable service. It is anticipated that the flights will begin from Spring 2016.

Start-up aid of up to £7 million is being provided through the Regional Air Connectivity Fund. The fund already supports strategic routes to London from Newquay and Dundee.

The full list of successful routes are:

– Carlisle to Belfast City (Stobart Air)

– Carlisle to Dublin (Stobart Air)

– Carlisle to Southend (Stobart Air)

– Dundee to Amsterdam (Flybe)

– Derry to Dublin (Citywings)

– Newquay to Leeds-Bradford (Flybe)

– Norwich to Exeter (Flybe)

– Norwich to Newcastle (Linksair)

– Oxford to Edinburg (Linksair)

– Southampton to Lyon (Flybe)

– Southampton to Munich (Flybe)

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