Isle of Man to Belfast flights to run in December

Four flights linking the Isle of Man and Belfast will run over the Christmas period

A limited number of return flights between the Isle of Man and Belfast will be run over the Christmas period.

Loganair will operate four return flights between the two destinations in late December and early January.

It comes after EasyJet said it would stop its services on the route, which had run twice a week since 2018, on 25 October.

Loganair's chief commercial director Luke Lovegrove said it was reinstating a service on the route because it was "relied on heavily over the holidays".

The services will run on 21, 28 and 31 December and 2 January, with the route serviced by a 72-seater aircraft.

Mr Lovegrove said: "It is incredibly important to us that we are able to keep passengers connected, especially over the festive period."

Welcoming the addition of the flights, interim director of the Isle of Man Airport, Geoff Pugh, said it would help "bring families and friends together" during the period.

In a statement EasyJet confirmed that it would "no longer operate" the service following a review pf the route.

"We concentrate our efforts on maintaining and developing routes which prove most popular with customers, focusing on offering routes with the greatest demand," it added.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet will also operate two return ferry sailings between the island and Belfast on 22 and 29 December.