Why is Derry spending millions each year to maintain a failed airport? (Passengers in hundreds of thousands)
by LoveLaughLarne
Why is Derry spending millions each year to maintain a failed airport? (Passengers in hundreds of thousands)
by LoveLaughLarne
7 comments
Where’s these figures from?
It’s not clear how much NIE money it is receiving, just references to a “multi million pound package”…. nor how much the council subsidy is…. just about a demand for a 600k reduction in one instance….
If someone has the annual figures that would be very interesting!
Derry / Londonderry City absolutely needs some sort of subsidised airport. It’s train route from the other Major City in NI, Belfast, takes **[2 hours](https://www.translink.co.uk/JourneyPlanner?OriginId=suburbID%3A31400030%3A147%3ABelfast%3A733748%3A125917%3AITMR&OriginName=Belfast&OriginType=suburb&DestinationId=10000571&DestinationName=Derry%2C%20Buscentre&DestinationType=Bus%20stop&DepartureOrArrivalDate=2024-02-15T09:11:51&isSearchByDepartureDate=true&FindBusDepartures=true&FindTrainDepartures=true&HasStepFreeEnabled=false)**.
It has barely got dual carriageway from Belfast to it but it still seperated with single carriageway on it’s most direct route at the [Glenshane Pass](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ijh3vB1GSbaupvUd8).
Driving the route still takes over an hour. [Google maps says 1 hour 20 minutes](https://maps.app.goo.gl/8LDkkBGGAJFQas5u6) to travel 70 miles. That’s *less than an average speed of 70 mph*.
Edit: Actually to make my point even more clearer.
Traveling to [Northampton](https://maps.app.goo.gl/toiD7c6CwrbnAJtH9), roughly the same distance as Belfast to Derry. Takes 1 hour 30 minus, 1 hour 40 in traffic. That’s an increase of 20 minutes over Belfast to Londonderry at it’s worst. That’s a 20% increase in travel time from a city 150% larger than Belfast.
If hundreds of thousands of people use it every year, then it’s hardly failed is it?
I’m sure the official reason is some waffle about supporting growth in the region, but also its a great photo op for a SF minister before they aim to take the Westminster seat back from the SDLP.
How are you defining failed airport?
Govt is funding it because it’s good for economy for Derry to have that direct link over to London.
It’s a great airport and I’ll hear nothing bad said about it.
Staff are lovely, not too busy and convenient flight times to get me to London.
I reckon that I fly more than about 90% of the people in NI, thanks to what I do for work. I live 25 minutes from City of Derry, an hour and a half from Aldergrove and three hours from Dublin. On paper CoD should be a dream for me, but I’ve never flown from it once for work. It’s useless. It’s a subsidised service that serves a tiny handful of people but makes no sense at all to the vast majority.
Would far rather have a proper public transport link from Derry to the international (trains) than the shit that we have now