The boss of City of Derry Airport has confirmed Ryanair will launch a new service to Birmingham within weeks.
Following reports linking the budget carrier to a new summer seasonal service in Derry, Steve Frazer said the Birmingham flights will in fact operate on a full-year round basis from April 2024.
Ryanair currently operates a single service to Manchester from the North West airport.
The airline previously operated flights to Liverpool and Edinburgh from City of Derry, before pulling all services in 2020.
Ryanair returned to the airport in the winter of 2021 with flights to Manchester, which continue to run twice weekly.
Confirming that flights to Birmingham will commence from April, the managing director said: “We are thrilled to expand our route map with Ryanair and provide a much-needed service for our local catchment area across Derry City and Strabane, the Causeway Coast and Glens, Donegal and beyond.
“A direct connection to Birmingham has been in demand for a number of years, particularly for those commuting to work, study or visit family and friends, and we are delighted that Ryanair will be taking to the skies to provide this.”
Ryanair currently operate 16 routes from Belfast International Airport, following its high profile return in March 2023.
The carrier confirmed in October that it planned to retain its two aircraft at Aldergrove over the winter, where it employs around 60 people.
The latest available data for City of Derry show passenger numbers were down by 14% in October compared to the same month in 2022.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority said 12,623 passengers passed through the terminal in October 2023, compared with 14,677 in October 2022.
