Debate contribution: Aviation Strategy for Northern Ireland

Debate contribution by Dr Caoimhe Archibald on 29 September 2025.

MLA

Dr Caoimhe Archibald

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

29 September 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Aviation Strategy for Northern Ireland

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5139609

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

While the motion is critically framed, I welcome the opportunity to engage with it, and I agree with the broad thrust of many, although not all, of the comments that have been made on it in the Chamber today. I am keen to address the absence of an aviation policy to date, because, as a small island, we are highly dependent on air connectivity for business and leisure travel. Good connectivity is vital to our economy, our commercial life, our FDI proposition and our tourism. The Government have an important role to play in supporting the aviation sector, and that was particularly the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused such a sharp decline in passenger numbers. Targeted financial packages for airports and the domestic aviation kick-start scheme helped our three airports through the pandemic. Post-pandemic recovery has been strong, with new airline routes and increased passenger numbers, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Tourism Ireland. We now need to continue that positive momentum in line with my economic vision. The aviation sector can generate good, high-productivity jobs, and, by supporting the City of Derry Airport, we can promote regional balance. The most recent figures show that the City of Derry Airport was estimated to have contributed £21 million of GVA annually to the regional economy and supported 650 jobs, directly and indirectly. That is why my Department has pledged up to £12 million over the next four years in support of the airport, on top of the £4·6 million over two years that is co-funded by the British Government for the London Heathrow route, and also why I am working with the Irish Government to reinstate the Derry to Dublin route. As Members have mentioned, there is a need to develop an environmentally responsible aviation strategy that aligns with my commitment to decarbonisation and our net zero commitments. There are already a number of companies here in the North that are developing the technology around sustainable aviation fuel production. That has the potential to generate hundreds of skilled jobs in engineering, logistics and research. In October 2023, my Department commissioned aviation consultants York Aviation to identify a set of strategic routes that will help drive inbound tourism and business growth and to identify policy levers to enhance our air connectivity. That research was published on 26 March 2024. The York Aviation report noted that airports fell within the remit of DFI, while DFE was responsible for air connectivity. In order to reduce fragmentation across Departments and facilitate more coherent policy development, York Aviation recommended that responsibility for air connectivity be consolidated within a single Department. In response, on 10 June 2024, my predecessor, Conor Murphy, and the then Infrastructure Minister, John O'Dowd, agreed to the transfer of responsibility for airport policy to my Department. That does not involve legislative changes. It means that my Department will ensure a clear and coherent policy direction throughout the sector, for airports and for air connectivity. For the new policy to be meaningful, it must take account of the perspective of the wider aviation, business and tourism sectors. Therefore, my officials are engaging with other Departments and wider stakeholders to ensure that a coordinated approach is taken on the future development of aviation policy.

As I said, the policy transfer involved no legislative changes, and it was completed over the course of last year. I am happy to write to the Member with the exact dates, which I do not have in front of me. My officials are engaging across Departments and with wider stakeholders to ensure that we have a coordinated approach on the future of aviation policy. The introduction of a route development fund is a key recommendation, and therefore the policy will aim to identify monetary and non-monetary incentives to airlines that could open routes that would otherwise not be commercially viable. My Department also takes account of the important plans being developed by our aviation sector — for example, the ambitious plans that were published by Belfast City Airport just last week. It is also important that these plans incorporate the views of local communities who live near airports. In addition to route development, a comprehensive aviation policy must take into account ongoing major infrastructure plans and initiatives around skills development and education. I recently met the management team of Belfast International Airport to see for myself the impressive new terminal extension, state-of-the-art security hall and expanded duty-free area. I have also met the CEO and senior team at Belfast City Airport to discuss their ambitious plans for expansion, and my officials continue to meet the management of all three airports, as well as Invest NI, Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland and councils, to discuss potential policy levers to encourage inward investment and tourism. These meetings will also include representatives from the business sector and the Consumer Council. It will be crucial to collaborate with the local aviation sector, tourism and investment partners, and the British and Irish Governments to help develop a more connected and attractive aviation network across the island. My Department's business plan for this financial year commits to consulting and finalising an aviation and route development policy. We remain on track to deliver that action. I now turn to the second part of the motion, which is about exports. The Export Forum was established by my Department, with the aim of bringing together the main providers of export support and industry representatives. We are working together towards a delivering a single, joined-up operating model for export promotion. That means that businesses across all sectors can access high-quality effective support. Exporting is at the heart of the Department's economic vision. Businesses that export are more productive, create more jobs and pay higher wages. That is why my Department is focused on helping firms to recognise and realise their export potential. It is vital for innovation-led growth and delivering prosperity across all our communities. Invest NI continues to play a pivotal role in supporting local businesses to access to new markets. Since April, it has delivered 13 international trade missions and exhibitions and offers tailored programmes such as Grow Beyond and Going Dutch to help early-stage exporters and SMEs. InterTradeIreland's first-time exporter accelerator is helping SMEs to trade cross-border for the first time. That is often the first step to exporting abroad. Looking ahead, my Department is focused on supporting businesses at every stage of their export journey. Our sectoral action plan set out clear objectives to increase the intensity of exports and the number of firms participating in international trade. With the right support and by fully leveraging dual market access, businesses in the North can offer the products and services to compete and thrive in global markets. Over the period of Windsor framework implementation, exports here have increased by 2% compared with a decline of 9% in Britain. It is important that that relatively strong export performance continue. I welcome the opportunity to have been able to respond to the debate.

1,173 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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