L-R: Katy Best, Chief Commercial Officer at Belfast City Airport, and Helen McGorman, Head of Stakeholder Engagement NI at Tourism Ireland
Belfast City Airport has announced that airline partner, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, is set to significantly expand its services from Belfast City Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
Beginning in winter 2024, direct flights from Belfast City Airport to Amsterdam will be available twice daily, year-round.
Katy Best, Chief Commercial Officer at Belfast City Airport, commented:
“The introduction of an additional daily flight to Amsterdam is testament to the strong partnership between KLM and Belfast City Airport.
“Our airport is renowned for its unrivalled punctuality and ‘fly through’ passenger experience, and this exciting development forms part of Belfast City Airport’s ongoing commitment to providing travellers with convenient access to an array of top destinations across the UK and beyond from the heart of Belfast.
“This new twice daily schedule will further strengthen our route network, providing business and leisure passengers with greater flexibility and choice and connecting them to the world via Amsterdam.”
Jerome Salemi, General Manager of Air France-KLM (UK and Ireland) added:
“We are delighted with the announcement of the additional daily flight that brings the world closer to Northern Ireland, by offering a wider selection of connections via Amsterdam including Istanbul, Budapest, Rio de Janeiro, and major cities in the US. The early flight will also allow for day return trips between both cities.”
The additional service means those travelling to Northern Ireland from Amsterdam can avail of up to 14 direct flights with KLM per week.
Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said:
“We warmly welcome today’s announcement by KLM that it will expand its Amsterdam to Belfast City Airport service to twice daily from October. As an island destination, we know there’s a proven direct correlation between access and growth in visitor numbers, so these additional flights will certainly help boost tourism business from the Netherlands to Northern Ireland.
“We know tourists are inspired to visit Northern Ireland because of our spectacular scenery, rich heritage and warm hospitality and this expanded service will provide visitors from the Netherlands, as well as tourists using Amsterdam as a connecting airport, with greater choice when planning their next holiday. Tourism Ireland is actively working with KLM and Belfast City Airport to drive demand for this service. We value collaboration with our key air and sea partners to bring overseas visitors to Northern Ireland.”
The new KLM flights will commence from 28th October 2024, with tickets currently available to book online via klm.co.uk