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00:19 >> And Jade, we're here today with the new Birmingham route for Ryanair.
00:23 >> Absolutely.
00:24 So it's great excitement here at City of Derry Airport,
00:26 where we're launching, officially launching our summer 24 schedule
00:30 with the first flight to Birmingham.
00:32 So Birmingham, as you mentioned, is a new route for us this summer.
00:35 We're going to be operating two, from today, two weekly return services to and from Birmingham,
00:43 and that's building on our regular services to Manchester then as well.
00:46 So even more connectivity with the UK, with people, you know,
00:49 tracking over for work, study, leisure purposes.
00:53 So again, just going to give more opportunity and choice with more regular services.
00:57 >> And we've heard already that this route's proven very popular, so a new Ryanair route.
01:01 Is there any opportunity to expand that route maybe in the future, like, or?
01:06 >> Absolutely.
01:07 Like, what we always kind of do is we'll put the route on, and we'll kind of see how it goes,
01:10 I suppose, as simple as it sounds.
01:11 And again, look, like we are a commercial business, the route needs to be viable.
01:16 So again, it'll all kind of be based on performance review.
01:19 But it is looking like it's going to be a strong route for summer.
01:23 We're seeing some strong bookings on it as well.
01:25 And I'd say if there is that demand, you know, there will always need to be that connectivity,
01:30 or with kind of mainland UK as well.
01:33 And again, look, it's just another kind of opportunity for people to get away and explore Birmingham as well.
01:40 >> And then to come here as well, I suppose.
01:43 >> Absolutely.
01:44 That's always the flip side of it, that I think gets a little bit lost.
01:47 You know, you think of kind of like Ryanair and so planes and all the rest of it,
01:50 and you think about jetting off on your holidays, which is all very exciting and absolutely what we do.
01:54 But there is that flip side as well, where like we do deliver economic value,
01:57 and I think that can often kind of get lost.
01:58 You know, like we do support about 40 to 50 jobs here in the local community as well,
02:03 just through our operation here in City of Derry Airport.
02:05 And on top of that then, though we are flying this summer 100, just under 100,000 passengers,
02:12 which is about 35% up from what we would have operated last summer.
02:15 So again, delivering more and more passengers, not just out, but inward as well then.
02:20 And again, you know where you sell, people come, they spend.
02:23 >> You have that economic spin off.
02:25 >> Exactly, so you have that kind of expenditure that all feeds back into the economy.
02:30 >> And in terms of like, so the possible extension of that route beyond summer will be looked at maybe once the route's up and running?
02:38 >> Absolutely. So like at the moment, the guys in the commercial team are working hard to kind of lock in everything for winter.
02:43 So we typically kind of announce that then towards the end of summer.
02:47 But I would suspect all going well that it will be continued throughout to the end of the year as well.
02:52 >> It is one of the routes we see on social media, the comments all the time,
02:56 "We need something to Birmingham, we need something to East MacGlen, etc."
03:00 Would there be any opportunities as well?
03:02 People mention a lot of routes, like for Ryanair to expand its operations in the northwest here.
03:07 >> Well again, like we always look, it's a way of kind of intricacies in terms of how the guys pick out routes.
03:12 So I'm not going to pretend that I can inform at all.
03:16 But what we do do is we feed demand.
03:18 So where we do identify that there is a service that will be eaten up, we absolutely then look at putting that on.
03:25 But again, it needs to be viable, so our aircraft need to be positioned correctly to be able to facilitate that route.
03:32 Because again, if we don't have aircraft based here, the flights will be operated in aircraft based in Birmingham and in Manchester for that route then as well.
03:39 So there is a number of different things you need to look at rather than just saying, "This one would be popular among the public."
03:46 And again, I suppose even looking at the wider cash finance in terms of other routes that we operate, nearby airports and things as well, also need to be factored in.
03:54 But again, I'd say Birmingham is going to make a fantastic addition to the services we operate here.
04:00 >> And just finally, I was going to ask, is there anything the government can do to promote airlines like Ryanair coming to regional airports?
04:07 >> Again, I think governments will always play a role, but again, I suppose it's one factor in a wider web of things that we look at.
04:14 And again, once we have long term cost certainty, which comes from a number of different aspects, I suppose that's ultimately what we look at.
04:21 >> That's brilliant. Thank you very much for your time, Jane.
04:23 >> No, thank you so much.
04:32 >> And Steve, we're here today with more new routes for the City of Derry Airport.
04:38 >> Yeah, fantastic. Really pleased to see that Birmingham off, you know, itself.
04:42 How much has been requested. Really good to get it over the line and get it started a couple of times a week.
04:46 Improve that route and improve the wider success of it.
04:51 Fantastic for Derry people not to have to go to the wider North West, not to have to go to Belfast, the government, now to get to Birmingham.
04:59 It's a big catchment in our area, right past our airport for years.
05:03 Just to get to Birmingham is a great place now to get on the route to the North West.
05:07 >> And it's always one of the routes people mention when you put a story up about the airport, like, you know, they say, "What about Birmingham?"
05:13 Like, you know, so, proven very popular already, isn't it?
05:16 >> Yeah, today's flight's both in and out, hopeful. So that's a good sign of where the route's going to be.
05:22 We look forward to getting it full for the summer as well and continuing it all year round.
05:27 You know, we know this is a large catchment within the North West, so getting to Birmingham.
05:32 And now we're serving it with Birmingham, I think we'll be able to prove that route and grow it from string to string.
05:39 >> And are you hopeful with Ryanair now that there may be more routes in the future, like, for development of this one?
05:43 >> Yeah, we're always talking to Ryanair about the possibilities and the opportunities.
05:47 And as I said, the North West has well over a million and a half people every year travelling to the UK.
05:53 So we can do better, we can serve better, we can get more frequency, we can get more routes.
05:57 So we're talking to Ryanair and other airline partners about how we can build that route network and grow the frequency.
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