Belfast – 04th March 2022: Emerald Airlines, exclusive operator of Aer Lingus Regional, has announced it will commence services from Belfast City Airport base later this month, with tickets on sale now.

Customers are now able to book flights from Belfast City Airport to Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Glasgow, and Exeter. Customers will be able to earn Avios points on all Aer Lingus Regional flights, providing continuity and benefits of the current services offered by both Aer Lingus and British Airways at Belfast City Airport. Tickets can be booked through AerLingus.com and BA.com.

With fares starting at £36.99*, the first phase of services will commence on 24th March 2022, to Birmingham with Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford and Manchester commencing on 27th March. Services from Belfast City to Glasgow and Exeter will commence from early May, 2022.

Emerald’s commitment to Northern Ireland will ensure continuity of regional routes that have been operated previously by Aer Lingus and British Airways. Customers will continue to enjoy all the benefits through Aer Lingus and British Airways’ codeshare agreement with Emerald Airlines.

Commenting on the announcement, Conor McCarthy, CEO of Emerald Airlines said: “Having already announced our services linking Belfast to Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds-Bradford and Exeter, we are delighted to go on sale from today with Aer Lingus and British Airways.

We want to be the airline of choice for customers travelling to and from Belfast City Airport, and with today’s announcement we are well positioned to deliver on that objective. We’re keen to build upon our announcement today, with more flights, destinations, and great fares to follow in the very near future.”

Reid Moody, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at Aer Lingus said: “Today marks another important day for Aer Lingus Regional services – it is good news for customers and good news for connectivity to / from Northern Ireland. Aer Lingus is looking forward to working with our partners at Emerald Airlines on future Aer Lingus Regional operations.”

The new routes are the result of a long-term partnership announced between Belfast City Airport and Emerald Airlines.

Matthew Hall, Chief Executive at George Best Belfast City Airport which is just a five-minute drive from the city centre, said: “This is excellent news for Northern Ireland and comes at a time when we are seeing an increasing demand for travel as we return to life without Covid restrictions.

The Aer Lingus Regional product is one with which our customers are familiar, and we’re thrilled that flights are bookable through both Aer Lingus and British Airways for added convenience. The ability to earn and spend Avios points with both airlines will be a welcome benefit for frequent fliers.

We are grateful to our airline partners for maintaining connectivity throughout the pandemic and now look forward to commencing our long-term partnership with Emerald Airlines which presents significant opportunities for additional routes and frequencies.”

Aer Lingus and British Airways services to London City and London Heathrow from Belfast City Airport remain unchanged.

Aer Lingus Regional flights will be operated by the ATR72-600, the latest generation of turboprop aircraft combining unmatched environmental and economic performance. These ultra low fuel burn aircraft emit up to 40% less CO₂ on these short, regional flights.

Recruitment is ongoing at Emerald Airlines for positions in Belfast including Flight Crew and Cabin Crew. Further information on vacancies can be viewed here.

Schedule & Avios

Airport Route Start Date Frequency Aircraft
Birmingham BHD-BHX 24-MAR-22 Up to 3x Daily ATR72-600
Leeds Bradford BHD-LBA 27-MAR-22 Up to 2x Daily ATR72-600
Manchester BHD-MAN 27-MAR-22 Up to 3x Daily ATR72-600
Edinburgh BHD-EDI 27-MAR-22 Up to 2x Daily ATR72-600
Exeter BHD-EXT 08-MAY-22 Up to 5x weekly ATR72-600
Glasgow BHD-GLA 08-MAY-22 Daily ATR72-600

Customers who book onto these routes operated by Emerald Airlines through www.ba.com or www.aerlingus.com can also earn and burn Avios and Tier points as part of British Airways’ Executive Club and Aer Lingus’ AerClub programme.

*Fares quoted are each-way as part of a return trip.

-ENDS-

Media contacts:

Emerald Airlines
Media Relations
media@emeraldairlines.com

Belfast City Airport
Media Relations
info@lighthouseni.com

About Emerald Airlines:
Based out of Dublin, Emerald Airlines is Ireland’s newest regional airline and exclusive operator of the Aer Lingus Regional route network. Offering a range of solutions including Franchise, wet lease, and Private Charter flying, Emerald Airlines’ dedicated team of aviation specialists will provide customers with the fleet solutions to meet specific needs.

The airline recently commenced Aer Lingus Regional flights from Dublin Airport, by June Emerald Airlines will fly over 360 flights per week across 12 routes

Emerald has also established an airline company in Northern Ireland (Emerald Airlines UK Ltd) and has applied to the UK CAA for a UK AOC and Operating Licence. Once Emerald Airlines has been granted its UK AOC, British Airways customers will continue to be able to purchase through BA.com and continue to enjoy all the benefits through its codeshare agreement with Emerald Airlines.

The Emerald management team is made up of highly experienced aviation professionals with extensive worldwide aviation experience. Emerald Airlines will provide a high-quality and customer-focused service for their airline client’s route networks. Guided by a set of core values, Emerald Airlines’ mission is to safely grow the business sustainability through innovation, expertise, and a commitment to exceeding the expectations of our customers and airline partners.

About Aer Club & Avios Redemption
AerClub, the Aer Lingus’ loyalty programme, recognises the most loyal and frequent Aer Lingus flyers through a four-tier structure. Earn Tier Credits based on frequency and spend with Aer Lingus – the more earned in each 12-month qualification period the further you advance. Tier Credits are earned on Aer Lingus and Aer Lingus Regional ticketed and operated flights.

There are four AerClub membership tiers: Green, Silver, Platinum and Concierge. Each tier will have a unique combination of travel benefits, which may include lounge access, priority check in, priority boarding and bonus points earning. The more Tier Credits collected, the quicker members will move up to the next membership tier and the more travel benefits they will enjoy.

AerClub is powered by Avios, a leader in travel rewards that manages the reward currency for multiple global loyalty programmes, including the British Airways Executive Club and Iberia Plus. Working with Avios, Aer Lingus can give AerClub members access to a global network of partners where they can collect Avios and turn them into flights and travel experiences and now with the launch of Pay with Avios members can enjoy money off their flights. Flying on Aer Lingus Regional flights operated by Emerald Airlines, passengers can benefit from the AerClub loyalty programme by redeeming and utilising their Avios points.