A brand-new airline called Fly Atlantic plans to launch cheap flights to North America from the UK. There’s one catch, though: you’ll have to go to Northern Ireland first, as the airline will only operate from Belfast International Airport.
The new flights from Belfast are due to start in summer 2024, offering cheap connections between the UK various US and Canadian destinations. The airline aims to serve a whopping 35 airports overall.
Belfast International is about 300 miles closer to New York than London’s airports, which might explain why Fly Atlantic plans to make Northern Ireland a hub for flights to North America. The main airline operating from Belfast International right now is EasyJet, which means there are loads of handy existing connections to airports across the UK and the rest of Europe.
The new airline plans to use narrow-bodied aircraft, but it’s yet to decide on which particular model – it’s apparently between a Boeing 737 Max or Airbus A321. Initially, Fly Atlantic says it will employ 50 people at Belfast International Airport and 250 crew, with a long-term plan to create 1,000 jobs over the next five years. It hasn’t been confirmed how much the transatlantic flights will set you back, but the airline is billing itself as a budget option.
Andrew Pyne, Fly Atlantic’s chief executive, said: ‘Our vision is of Belfast as a strong aviation hub linking Europe and North America.’ He claimed the airline would be a ‘game-changer’ for customers, Belfast residents and for the aviation industry.
‘The lack of direct transatlantic air services has clearly been an impediment to Northern Ireland’s economic and tourism development, which we now intend to remove.’
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