Loganair’s new service between London Heathrow Airport and City of Derry Airport marks a significant milestone in the growth and development of City of Derry, not only providing frequent air access to one of the world’s leading transport hubs, but also creating a fast and convenient gateway for outbound travel and inbound tourism opportunities via the Northwest.

This comes at a remarkable time for City of Derry Airport as the demand for London travel has increased significantly. Passenger numbers on London services will increase by 83% this year against 2019-2020 figures.

The frequency is also increasing on Loganair’s existing services to Liverpool and Glasgow. Ryanair’s services to Manchester remain in very high demand, and Travel Solutions summer holidays to Majorca will be jetting off from 28th June. With pilgrimages to Lourdes through Joe Walsh Tours this summer, and a Topflight school ski programme to Verona taking off from January 24, this coming year will be another period of growth at City of Derry Airport.

Steve Frazer, Managing Director at City of Derry Airport, stated: “We are absolutely thrilled with the expansion of our services from City of Derry Airport. It’s incredible for our region to be providing a three times daily service to London Heathrow Airport.

“Gaining international hub access is a substantial step in the economic and strategic growth of the region and our vision for the future of the Airport. Demand for access to the Northwest from international leisure, corporate markets, and university students, coupled with globally recognised events such as The Open being hosted on our doorstep in Portrush in 2025, means that City of Derry Airport is in a position to bring considerable tourism opportunities and economic growth to the local area.

“In terms of outbound travel, London Heathrow will truly open a ‘Gateway to the World’, as passengers will be able to book single ticket connections to and from City of Derry Airport via London Heathrow to 119 destinations in 56 countries.

“Destinations across Europe, Middle East, North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australasia will all soon be available from City of Derry Airport through Loganair’s partner airlines such as British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, KLM / Air France, Virgin, Singapore Airlines and Finnair, with several more to follow, all from the convenience of your local Airport.”

Mr. Frazer continued: “We look forward to welcoming the world to the Northwest and connecting our people across the globe, with our own world class welcome and customer service experience.”

Welcoming the news, Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Sandra Duffy, said: “I am delighted to see the connection to London Heathrow confirmed today. The new route retains our vital service to London which will be warmly welcomed by our local business community, but further opens up access to destinations right across the world, which will be of huge benefit to both business and tourism. The new arrangement will offer a raft of benefits with increased availability in flights and reductions in travel times, further enhancing the first class travel experience already offered by City of Derry Airport.”

Selina Horshi, President of Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, added: “This is a very positive development which will connect Derry and the Northwest to the UK’s largest airport and busiest airport in Europe. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect our region with other major economic hubs across the globe and secure onward connections to destinations like the US and the Middle East. Strong connectivity and boosting our regional infrastructure are key priorities for the business community and the Chamber. Enabling strong and secure links to other economic markets will bring fresh investment, new jobs, and visitors to the Northwest from around the world.”

The new Loganair service between London Heathrow Airport and City of Derry Airport commences on 6th May 2023 and will operate three times per day. Loganair’s all-inclusive fare system includes hold baggage and in-flight refreshments as standard.

For more information on Loganair’s NEW service between London Heathrow Airport and City of Derry Airport, and onward international travel options, visit www.loganair.co.uk.