Derry-Dublin flight 'could begin by spring 2026'

A previous service between City of Derry Airport and Dublin was axed in 2011

A flight route between Londonderry and Dublin could return as early as spring 2026, according to the managing director of City of Derry Airport.

The announcement was made by the Irish Government as part of its 2026 budget on Tuesday.

A daily service between City of Derry Airport and Dublin, funded by the Irish government, was withdrawn in 2011.

While an official date for the flight's return has not been confirmed, Steve Frazer said they hoped to launch the route in the first half of next year.

'A done deal'

It will be funded under a Public Service Obligation (PSO), where a government support flights which would not otherwise be commercially viable.

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme on Wednesday, Mr Frazer said the flight route was now a "done deal" and will proceed to public procurement.

That is where airline companies enter a tendering process to compete for the contract.

"We have to respect the work of officials, but we will do everything we can to work with them to accelerate this and deliver it in the first half of the year wherever possible," he said.

He hoped the service would be operating by spring and he expected a number of airlines to bid for the route.

The options would be assessed in the near future.

"We will take bids from everyone, of course, and consider them carefully," he said.

Steve Frazer says he expects this route will operate morning and evening flights

Mr Frazer said this route, which he expects will operate morning and evening flights on a four-year rotating basis, would be "transformational" for the north west and would provide a huge boost for business and tourism.

"People have been crying out for this route," he said.

"It is also, importantly for me, the first formal recognition from the Irish Government of the role that City of Derry Airport plays in the north west, and it is very welcome.

"This will give organisations such as IDA Ireland and Invest NI another tool to attract investment into the region."

He said that about 80% of international travellers arrive on the island through Dublin, so this development is significant for all-island travel.

It would, he said, help encourage people travelling from countries such as the USA or Canada to continue their journey across the border to Northern Ireland.