Stobart given boost to help air routes take off
STOBART Group is to received financial help from the Government to launch routes from its Carlisle Lake District Airport to the South East and Ireland.
The routes will connect Carlisle with Stobart’s other airport Southend in just 72 minutes, and with Belfast City Airport in 42 minutes. A service will also be launched to Dublin. The route will be operated by Stobart Air, formerly known as Aer Arann, which is owned by Stobart Group and other investors.
The Chancellor announced in last week’s Spending Review that 11 successful bidders – including airports in Yorkshire and the North East – across the UK had been awarded support from the Government’s £7m Regional Air Connectivity Fund.
Aviation minister Robert Goodwill said: “Carlisle, Newcastle and Leeds-Bradford airports are vital engines for the Northern economy, connecting the UK and creating opportunities. That is why the UK Government backs new air routes in this region, with our investment benefiting hard-working people across the country.”
The start-up aid bidding competition was open to airports with fewer than five million passengers per year and allows air routes that are not currently commercially viable today to be introduced early, giving time for airlines to build passenger numbers and deliver a more sustainable service. It is anticipated that flights will begin from Spring 2016.
