OREANDA-NEWS. December 03, 2015. Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill has welcomed the new domestic and international routes that will start in 2016 from regional airports across the UK. The Chancellor announced in last week’s Spending Review that 11 successful bidders had been awarded support from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund. These new flights will offer fast journey times within the UK and also introduce new routes to Europe for the first time.

Robert Goodwill said:

Our smaller airports are vital engines for local economies, connecting the UK and opening up opportunities. That is why the government is backing new regional air routes to drive investment and benefit hardworking people across the country.

The start-up aid bidding competition was open to airports with fewer than 5 million passengers per year and allows air routes that are not currently commercially viable today to be introduced early, giving time for airlines to build passenger numbers and deliver a more sustainable service. It is anticipated that the flights will begin from Spring 2016.

Start-up aid of up to £7 million is being provided through the Regional Air Connectivity Fund. The fund already supports strategic routes to London from Newquay and Dundee.

The full list of successful routes are:

Origin Destination Airline
Carlisle Belfast City Stobart Air
Carlisle Dublin Stobart Air
Carlisle Southend Stobart Air
Dundee Amsterdam Flybe
Derry Dublin Citywings
Newquay Leeds-Bradford Flybe
Norwich Exeter Flybe
Norwich Newcastle Linksair
Oxford Edinburgh Linksair
Southampton Lyon Flybe
Southampton Munich Flybe