Q&A with City of Derry Airport’s Managing Director, Steve Frazer

Where can you travel to directly from City of Derry Airport?

Loganair’s new service between City of Derry Airport and London Heathrow operates three times daily, not only providing frequent air access to one of the world’s leading transport hubs, but also creating a fast and convenient gateway for outbound travel and inbound tourism opportunities.

The frequency is increasing on Loganair’s existing services to Liverpool and Glasgow over the summer, with 15kg hold luggage and in-flight refreshments included as standard. Ryanair’s service to Manchester also remains in high demand with fares from £29.99pp one way.

Travel Solutions Majorca holidays and Joe Walsh Tours Pilgrimages to Lourdes have been hugely successful. And with our Topflight school ski programme to Verona in January 2024 sold out, this coming year will be another period of growth for the airport.

What are the connectivity options available with the new Heathrow service?

In terms of outbound travel, Heathrow truly opens a ‘Gateway to the World’. Passengers are now able to book through ticket connections from City of Derry Airport via London Heathrow to 119 destinations in 56 countries.

Destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australasia are available with Loganair’s codeshare with British Airways and KLM, and interline partnerships with United Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Air France, Wideroe, Singapore Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Icelandair, and Finnair.

What does the new Heathrow service offer for the region?

As the Gateway for the North West for over 40 years, the key business connectivity across all our services supports the North West’s thriving regional development plans, and Heathrow certainly marks a substantial step in our vision for the future.

Demand for access to the North West from international leisure, corporate markets, and university students, coupled with globally recognised events such as The Open being hosted on our doorstep in Portrush in 2025, means that the airport is in a position to bring considerable tourism opportunities and economic growth to the local area.

What is the best thing about travelling via City of Derry Airport?

We are proud to provide the region with the convenience of flying local, and reduced travel time and cost as we offer the best priced airport parking on the island of Ireland. With single level access and less than 15 mins from our carpark to our departure gate, our passengers can enjoy a stress-free start to their trip.

Our Amelia Earhart Lounge offers a comfortable, private space with beautiful views, as well as the service of our lounge team. The team offer private group bookings for special occasions or for any passengers who require a calm area prior to flying.

What makes City of Derry Airport different from other transport facilities? Firstly, the warm welcome and personable service from our staff, who know many of our passengers by first name, is something you won’t always find at an Airport.

In terms of business travel, we are in a unique position as Ireland’s only crossborder city, providing unique access to UK, Irish, and EU markets for international companies who want to invest in the region.

We have excellent corporate handling services, and as many private passengers enjoy the ease of travelling through a regional airport, this part of the business attributes to 50% of our aircraft movement.

We are also fortunate to have Cutting Edge Helicopters operating from the airport. The team offer amazing sightseeing tours, chartered services, and training.

What’s next for City of Derry Airport? Re-establishing air access between the North West and Dublin is one of our key priorities, particularly for the corporate market, and providing hub connectivity for foreign direct investment. This service would also provide tourists visiting Ireland via Dublin to add the exploration of the beautiful North West to their itinerary.

We are in ongoing discussions with the Irish Government on the need for a PSO service based on the connectivity benefits that the airport provides, though there are funding challenges. It is mutually agreed that the airport is economically and strategically important to the North West.

Of course, we will continue to work on the further expansion of our route network across the UK and Europe also, as well as the development of additional travel partnerships.

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