Donegal people
intending to fly from City of Derry Airport have
been advised to contact their airlines about flight
cancellations and diversions following the closure
of the airport over safety fears.
The airport was closed at midnight until further
notice after the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
raised concerns about the lack of an effective bird
control plan, unsuitable temporary repairs to the
area where planes park and poor runway drainage. |
 |
Ryanair have cancelled
all today's flights to and from the airport after
the terminal was closed at midnight.
British Airways rescheduled their flights to operate
through Belfast International Airport, more than 60
miles away.
The Dublin and Glasgow routes will be affected and
passengers have been |
advised to check-in as
normal at City of Derry Airport for coach transfers
to Belfast.
The CAA is to meet with airport management and
representatives of Derry City Council, the
facility's owners, later today in London to discuss
what needs to be done.
It said the suspension was provisional and the onus
was on the airport to fix the highlighted problems.
Routes serviced from the airport at Eglinton are
Bristol; Dublin; East Midlands; Glasgow Prestwick;
Liverpool; London Stansted and some package holiday
resorts.
Airport manager Seamus Devine said management was
"100% committed to maintaining the highest safety
standards".
"This really transpired out of works that we are
planning to do at the airport. We recently have been
attempting to purchase land by compulsory purchase
and went through a public inquiry.
"We highlighted the issue of safety at the public
inquiry for the reasons for doing the work.
"And as a result we invited the CAA to come along
and carry out an audit to regularise these various
issues we have been operating with and have them
formally recognised."
Mr. Devine said it was the result of the audit
around nine days ago that the decision to close was
taken. |
