Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure flights between Northern Ireland and Great Britain continue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May the Government announced a £5.7 million funding package of measures,?supporting?two airlinks,?from Belfast and Londonderry to London,?and associated airport services at City of Derry Airport and Belfast City Airport.

The funding package has ensured that lifeline connectivity services continue to both Belfast and Londonderry during the COVID-19 pandemic. These routes provide critical connectivity for key workers, repatriation, and access to healthcare services.

This approach was taken to ensure in the immediate term the continuity of service for passengers and specifically places an obligation on the operators to ensure the services continue at a minimum appropriate level.

The support provided is a temporary arrangement for up to 3 months. We are continuing to monitor Northern Ireland to Great Britain connectivity as part of the Department’s work on restart and recovery of the sector and are pleased to see commercial services resuming between London and Belfast as well as in other parts of the UK.