Debate contribution: Aviation Strategy for Northern Ireland

Debate contribution by Mr Peter McReynolds on 29 September 2025.

MLA

Mr Peter McReynolds

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

29 September 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Aviation Strategy for Northern Ireland

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5139601

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I support the motion, thank its proposers and look forward to the Minister's response. As my party colleague outlined, we in Alliance believe that an aviation strategy could play a vital role in creating jobs, promoting tourism and enhancing our public transport investment. At the outset, I feel that I should, like Mr Aiken, declare an interest given that I have Belfast City Airport in my constituency of East Belfast. The airport supports more than 6,500 jobs in that area and more than 12,000 across Northern Ireland. It has generated hundreds of millions of pounds for our economy while, through its community fund, donating almost £1 million to support community groups and charitable causes across East Belfast and North Down. Each airport here creates and sustains an important part of our economy and tourism, playing a critical role in allowing us to connect to the rest of the UK and Europe, whether that be for business or recreation. Through the introduction of an aviation strategy and by working with our airports, we could see more connections to more European hubs and an increased regularity of services, with businesses choosing to be based near our airports, thereby increasing jobs in the area. If we look to Cork as an example, we see that it has flights connecting two major European business hubs, and businesses choose to have their offices close by, allowing for fast access to the global market.

That draws businesses to the area, creates more jobs and boosts the economy. In that context, we in Northern Ireland are missing out.

Linking in with markets that we have yet to reach and increasing connectivity through additional services will allow more businesses to choose Northern Ireland first when deciding where to take their business. The York Aviation report notably referred to key European markets such as France and Germany and even to potential for connectivity with North America, which no airport in Northern Ireland yet provides. Along with dual market access, that would provide a massive opportunity for US businesses to choose Northern Ireland as one of the first English-speaking countries that investors meet when they cross the Atlantic Ocean to access European and British markets. My colleague Mr Honeyford covered the economic benefits of an aviation strategy; as an infrastructure spokesperson, I will turn to the infrastructure perspective. There is a real opportunity to acknowledge the positive impact on and benefits for our public transport system. Through an aviation strategy, we could see increased footfall on bus or potential rail connections, which would increase the necessity for more public transport routes across Northern Ireland and our ability to ditch private vehicles and access airports via rail or bus. The knock-on effect would be extra funds from fares, which could be used to improve the standard of our public transport, and we could then deliver things such as late-night buses much faster and more easily than we have seen in recent months and years. Last, but by no means least, we need to ensure that our net zero targets are not forgotten, and, to achieve those goals, we must use greener technologies and take environmental responsibility. Increased air use and the positives that come with it cannot be brought about to the detriment of our environment. Those goals can be realised in conjunction, as evidenced recently by the Belfast City Airport master plan, which I encourage all Members to engage with during its consultation period. I welcome today's motion and the positives that could flow from it for Northern Ireland. However, I remind Members that it is not just about aviation but about creating greater connection, increasing opportunity for business and supporting our world-class tourism offering.

615 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:18 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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