Late night flights at Belfast City Airport could be approved

Among other proposals announced by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling are new runways at Stansted and Heathrow and proposals for future development of City of Derry Airport in conjunction with the Irish Government.

Because of its proximity to the city, Belfast City Airport operates under a number of planning restrictions.

Currently the biggest constraint is on late flights which prevents late evening services from a number of airports including Heathrow.

The government says those planning controls should be re-examined and that ways could be found to limit the inconvenience to residents while increasing the economic benefit to Northern Ireland as a whole.

The proposal has been welcomed by the airport - but any late night flying is likely to be vigorously opposed by local residents.

A growing Belfast City Airport provides many economic benefits to Northern Ireland and those benefits must be weighed against the need for suitable controls on the environmental impact such growth would create John Doran Belfast City Airport

"Why is it that they haven't been looking at the poss of extending the international airport at Aldergrove and using it more than Belfast City which is in an extremely built up area," said Sheilah Bradley of the Kinnegar Residents Group, in north Down.

"I sometimes feel that this is an accident waiting to happen in this part of the world with these large aircraft coming in extremely low over these houses."

The government has also sought to protect regional access to Heathrow, by proposing that slots for cities such as Belfast are ring-fenced.

John Doran, chief executive of Belfast City Airport, welcomed the government proposals.

"The government rightly points out the need for maintaining suitable controls on environmental impact, something we fully support, but it also acknowledges that a balance must be struck between conflicting environmental and economic factors if Northern Ireland is to be properly served by air transport as the century progresses," he said.

"A growing Belfast City Airport provides many economic benefits to Northern Ireland and those benefits must be weighed against the need for suitable controls on the environmental impact such growth would create."

'Step forward'

Elsewhere, the White Paper supports development to increase capacity at Belfast International Airport.

It suggests that passenger numbers at Belfast International airport may grow to 10m by 2030, while it says that the Dublin Government should be brought in on any development plans at City of Derry airport, because of its strategic importance to the whole north west.

However, the plans have been criticised for not addressing the issue of guaranteed flights from the province's airports to Heathrow.

"Today's White Paper is a step forward in what needs to be an ongoing discussion," said Alan Walker of Northern Ireland's General Consumer Council.

"However, it does not make clear how Northern Ireland flights to Heathrow will be protected in the short-term until the decision has been made about the airport's proposed third runway."

The council also welcomed that fact that Air Passenger Duty has not been increased due to the adverse impact it would have on Northern Ireland passengers.

"The council welcomes the call for further debate on how Northern Ireland's airports can meet the needs of more passengers in future," said Mr Walker.

"We look forward to working with the Department for Regional Development, the airports and other interested parties to make sure that the consumer's voice is heard."

Stansted's second runway is due to be ready by 2011, with Heathrow to get a third by 2020 if it meets environmental targets such as a car charging scheme.

However, the plans have angered residents' groups and environmental campaigners.

The big airlines had warned failure to consider a new runway at Heathrow would make the aviation industry go the same way as shipbuilding and coal mining.