O’Leary plans could upset Fragile Truce between City Airport and Residents warns Copeland
UUP East Belfast Representative Michael Copeland today said he shared residents concern at plans to extend the runway at George Best Belfast City Airport.
Mr Copeland said that Mr O’Leary, whose questionable use of Martin McGuinness in an advert promoting low fares from Belfast has already raised the heckles of many, was upsetting the already fragile truce between the airport and local residents.
In a statement Mr Copeland said,
“I can presently see no merits in plans to extend the runway at the Airport, the existing one seems to work perfectly well for the carriers already in place with BMI flying larger planes in and out on a daily basis.
Residents are well aware of plans to increase traffic by up to a Million at the airport but there are already agreed restrictions affecting night flights, curfews and the number of seats sold, currently a generous 1.5 Million.
Residents are rightly concerned that the airport are constantly trying to move the goalposts. The airport management are, naturally for a business, seeking to expand and generate more revenue. This is good for Northern Ireland. But equally the residents in East Belfast and the Holywood area are entitled to a decent quality of life, free from constant aircraft noise and, with a proposed greater number of flights, an increased threat to their safety.
Mr O’Leary may champion the use of ‘quieter’ aircraft but to a resident there is little difference to a quiet plane or a loud one at take off and landing.
I have written to the Ryanair boss seeking further details of his rationale in seeking to extend the runway at the Airport. I trust that his response will be prompter than his still awaited reply to my query about his ridiculous ‘flights so low even the British Army flew home’ advert which has caused a great deal of offence amongst the people he needs to try and win over with his plans for the George Best Belfast City Airport.”