Irish regional airline Emerald Airlines has recently commenced its twice-weekly service connecting Belfast City Airport with Jersey in the Channel Islands.
Emerald Airlines, operating on behalf of Aer Lingus under the brand Aer Lingus Regional has been increasing its destination board from Belfast City Airport (BHD) over the past number of months. The newest destination is Jersey (JER), in the Channel Islands. The flight, which will use an ATR 72-600, will fly on Wednesdays and on Sundays as EI3694.
Although flights have begun between the two destinations, Aer Lingus Regional also flies to Jersey from its base in Dublin (DUB). EI3342 is flown every Saturday using the same type of aircraft, an ATR 72-600, which seats 72 passengers.
With the official announcement of the route happening last October, Aer Lingus Regional is expecting 6,000 passengers for the summer destination. Flights between the city and the island haven’t been flown since 2013 so the resumption of scheduled services will be a major boost for both regions. When the route was initially announced last year, the Jersey Minister for Economic Development said it was a sign of confidence in Jersey as an attractive destination.
Matt Thomas, Chief Executive of Ports of Jersey said back in October:
“It is a great vote of confidence in our future that airlines are offering new routes and improving our connectivity. We already have a successful link with Dublin, and this route will strengthen our connections and expand travel options for both Islanders and visitors.”
Chief Commercial Officer at Belfast City Airport, Katy Best said:
“The launch of flights to Jersey comes at a perfect time for those wishing to take a summer holiday with Jersey boasting spectacular beaches, attractions to suit all interests, and a wealth of history and heritage waiting to be explored. The short flight time means passengers can enjoy the sunniest spot in the British Isles in less than two hours from Belfast City Airport, making it an attractive option for a quick getaway or family break.”
With the new commencement of operations between Belfast and Jersey, it brings the total routes served at the airport by Aer Lingus Regional to 13. Just recently, following the ceasing of operations by British regional airline FlyBe, Aer Lingus Regional recommenced regularly scheduled flights to Newcastle, North-eastern England.
The routes currently being served at Belfast by Aer Lingus are Southampton (SOU), Manchester (MAN), Leeds (LBA), Edinburgh (EDI), Birmingham (BHX), Cardiff (CWL), East Midlands (EMA), Exeter (EXT), Newquay (NQY), Jersey (JER), Newcastle (NCL), Isle of Man (IOM) and Glasgow (GLA).
Photo: Croatorum | Shutterstock
Aer Lingus Regional and Emerald Airlines have a longstanding relationship and commitment to Belfast and Northern Ireland and the increased amount of seats and destinations available prove this. For the summer, Aer Lingus Regional announced recently that they have a total of 1.5 million seats across their entire regional network. That’s a lot of seats using only a fleet of ATR 72-600s.
Source: The Irish News.
What do you think about the new flights between Belfast and Jersey? Have you flown with Aer Lingus Regional from Belfast recently? Let us know in the comments below.