Minister was sceptical of study into leakage of air passengers from NI to Dublin
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA
A direct rule minister expressed scepticism about carrying out an urgent study into the “leakage” of passengers from the North to Dublin Airport in 2005.
A declassified memo also showed NIO minister John Spellar being told by an official that a recommendation from MPs that a review into the governance of City of Derry Airport could be “slightly awkward”.
The note to the then minister with responsibility for regional development is in response to a report from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee into air transport in Northern Ireland.
The memo said: “In general, the report is broadly helpful and can be interpreted as supporting the thrust of the air transport white paper, particularly as regards the development of Belfast City Airport.
“It is unlikely, therefore, to be well received by Belfast International Airport.”
The committee had recommended that the Department for Regional Development (DRD) undertake a review of the governance of City of Derry Airport (CoDA) “as a matter of urgency”.
The note said: “This recommendation is slightly awkward in that the governance of CoDA is strictly a matter for Derry City Council.
“However, you will recall that change in the governance of CoDA is one of the conditions attaching to the Government’s offer of support and that DRD had offered to assist in taking this forward.
“The Committee has also suggested that DRD should consider action to reduce the financial burden of the airport on the ratepayers of Derry through refinancing loans or rescheduling payments.
“When giving evidence, you had already outlined the impracticality of this suggestion.”
The note said the committee of MPs had also recommended an “urgent study to determine the extent of leakage of air passengers to the Republic of Ireland and a “detailed analysis” of the factors involved”.
It said: “You have already expressed scepticism about such a study of leakage.”
The committee had also suggested DRD should explore and develop contingency plans to protect the Belfast to Heathrow air service.
The memo said: “I suspect that this is a recommendation much easier to articulate than to carry out in practice.”
