City of Derry Airport a colossal waste of money: councillor

A NORTH West councillor has called for the City of Derry Airport to shut its doors because it has become a “colossal waste of money”.

Conservative Party councillor David Harding said government funding should instead be fo- cused on infrastructure projects in the area.

The Causeway Coast and Glens representative said the council need to “face the reality that the airport is a failure”.

“We need to see funding focused on roads, both completing the dualling of the A26 to Coleraine and pressing on with the huge task of upgrading the A6,” Mr Harding told the BBC’s Nolan Show programme.

“This will greatly enhance journey times to Belfast International.

“Belfast International passenger numbers are up again by over 10% and it is rapidly approaching six million passengers per year.

“There are single routes from Aldergrove that carry more passengers than go through City of Derry on all routes.”

Derry and Strabane District Council said the airport “is an important piece of infrastructure for the local economy”.

“The airport plays a key role in providing air connectivity to the region, carrying over 200,000 passengers in 2017 and brings significant employment to the region,” the council added.

Mr Harding said that the only two “significant airports” on the island of Ireland are Dublin Airport and Belfast International.

He added attempts to sustain other airports, particularly as the road infrastructure improves, is “simply an unwise use of ratepayers’ and taxpayers’ money”.