Weak pound boosts Belfast International
15.10.08
Travellers from the Republic are flocking to Belfast International Airport to avoid Dublin congestion and make the most of the weak pound, the Newsletter reports. In the recent past Ulster flyers have regularly made the journey south to fly from the expanding Dublin airport, taking advantage of vastly improving road links between the two key cities north and south of the border.
But currency exchange rates, increasing links between the Republic and Northern Ireland, Aer Lingus opening a new base at Belfast International and frustration at the notoriously heavy Dublin traffic have contributed to a surge in holidaymakers and business travellers crossing the border the other way, to fly from Belfast, the newspaper reports.
The airport said that its overall traffic was up on last year and it was expecting to carry ‘well over’ 5 million passengers this year. A spokesman told the Newsletter: ‘The euro has helped us this year. In previous years we would have seen passengers going to Dublin airport because of the exchange rate. Because of the way that the pound has gone, this year we've seen a reverse in that.'
‘We are particularly seeing people coming from Donegal and Sligo, where they think: 'Dublin's such a nightmare to get through, I'll come to Belfast. Aer Lingus flying from Belfast also has an impact because they recognise the brand.’
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