Aer Lingus to suspend Belfast City-London Heathrow route
Aer Lingus is suspending its route from Belfast City to London Heathrow at the end of October.
Reports are that the Irish carrier does not hold the right to operate domestic flights in the UK and that it had been operating under a temporary licence, which has now ended.
The last service will take place on October 30, with sister carrier British Airways set to operate three daily flights from Belfast City to Heathrow thereafter to ensure there is continuity of service and no impact to any of our passengers’ journeys.”
A spokesperson from Aer Lingus provided the following statement:
“Aer Lingus is very keen to continue operating the Belfast City – Heathrow London service, which we have been operating since 2007.
“We are engaging with the relevant authorities in order to allow us to continue to serve this route into the future.
Heathrow removes passenger cap from October 30
Heathrow is removing the cap on passengers which it imposed earlier this year. The cap will be removed from October 30, 2022.
The airport says that as a result of the cap, the “Vast majority of Heathrow passengers had good service this summer.” The airport served 18 million passengers, more than any other European hub
There is a possibility of further restrictions, however, and the airport said that it is “working with airlines to agree a highly targeted mechanism that, if needed, would align supply and demand on a small number of peak days in the lead up to Christmas.
British Airways offers new offsetting options for passengers
British Airways is launching improved carbon offsetting options for both individual and corporate customers. The new platform is the same as that used by fellow IAG airline – Iberia. The CO2llaborate programme is in partnership with climate tech company CHOOOSE.
The airline describes is as “an evolution…featuring more precise emissions calculations and a new adjustable slider to give customers more control over the amount of SAF versus verified carbon offsets they wish to purchase.”
Customers can calculate their estimated impact on the environment and choose to purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to reduce their emissions, or purchase carbon offsets from certified climate projects.
SAF is far more expensive than the offsetting projects. As an example, flying to Hong Kong in business class would currently cost £99 in offsets for the return journey.
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