Council agree to lobby for vital airport funding

Members of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee have agreed to continue to lobby relevant Government officials and Ministers to ensure immediate access to the £2.5 million Route Development Fund for the City of Derry Airport, announced by the Northern Ireland Executive in 2016.
It was also agreed that engagement with key stakeholder, including the Irish Government is to continue to sustain the airport beyond 2021.
Lead Finance Officer with Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alfie Dallas has told council members that the airport will not be sustainable beyond May 2019 unless the £2.5 million funding announced by the Executive two years ago which has not come to fruition due to the polictial deadlock in Northern Ireland is processed.
Mr Dallas says the funding request is urgent to ensure the operation of the London Stanstead PSO beyond May 2019 and to allow this, the funding must be confirmed by August/September this year.
If the funding is not processed, the London Stanstead route will cease to operate and the airport will no longer be sustainable beyond May next year.