Aer Lingus's decision to switch its landing slots at Heathrow from Shannon to Belfast will be a commercial failure, according to a report published today by group campaigning for the retention of the Shannon route.
The Atlantic Connectivity Alliance (ACA) says traffic from Belfast to Heathrow fell 43 per cent between 2000 and 2006, while there was 6.3 per cent growth on Shannon/Heathrow during the same period.
The ACA analysed the findings of the expert group appointed by Minister for Transport Noel Demspsey to consider the viability of Aer Lingus's controversial decision.
"What we have discovered during our analysis of the Interdepartmental Report, and contrasting that with our own information, is that this decision by Aer Lingus to move slots from Shannon to Aldergrove flies in the face of commercial logic," said the ACA's Tony Brazil.
The ACA report says competition from Belfast is fierce with two airports offering services to London - Belfast City and Aldergrove.
Belfast City attracts more of the higher paying business passengers with eight flights a day offered by BMI and Ryanair are due to begin operating from the airport to London Stansted next month.
Easyjet, meanwhile, runs services from Aldergrove to Stansted, Luton and Gatwick.
"It may be the case that there are opportunities to develop commercially viable routes from Belfast Aldergrove for Aer Lingus but Heathrow is not one of them," Mr Brazil said.
He said the Government must use its shareholding in Aer Lingus to force an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders.