City Airport extension "totally unnecessary" - Parsley

10.04.44am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 7th Sep 2007

Alliance Hollywood Councillor Ian Parsley

Holywood Alliance Councillor Ian James Parsley has condemned discussion of an extension to the runway at Belfast City Airport as "a nonsense".

Responding to an announcement from the City Airport that it wishes to extend its runway, Cllr Parsley stated: "Any extension either to the runway or to the opening times of the City Airport is totally unnecessary.

"We have a perfectly located International Airport 20 miles up the road which is ideally placed to expand its international services to cater for the growing number of tourists both leaving and entering Northern Ireland.

"The City Airport management team should be applauded for what they have achieved at Sydenham, but the objective for that airport must be first and foremost business and leisure travel on short-haul routes. If it attempts simply to mimic Aldergrove, people will ask why it exists at all.

"It is a nonsense to expect people living in one airport's flight path to tolerate further extensions to flying hours and distances, when we have a perfectly good airport just down the road capable of handling many more European and intercontinental flights.

"There is a very real human cost associated with airports, borne mainly by people living near them. Just walking around the Kinnegar area of Holywood makes this more than apparent.

"If there is a clear case for extensions, that is one thing. But in this case, there is simply no need to cause them further distress and disturbance."

ENDS