Flybe has confirmed the Northern Ireland airport as its second base, having announced Birmingham as its new headquarters and first crew base in November.
The airline’s chief executive Dave Pflieger said: “Next week is going to be an exciting time for customers and communities that have been waiting to hear from us about low fares, new routes, and new destinations—all of which are being timed to coincide with the restart of the economy and a return to normalcy after two difficult years for all.
“As you’ve heard, our team has been working hard for over a year and a half to bring customers a new airline that people will love, and we are particularly excited to be flying to Belfast City Airport and serving Northern Ireland.”
He said the carrier would serve “many other cities in the UK and EU”.
Meanwhile, the venture has made four key appointments, including Jim Comer as finance director. Comer was involved with the previous Flybe Ltd from 2001, including the sale of the collapsed business and assets in April 2021.
In addition, Philip Saunders joins as chief commercial officer, having worked for seven other carriers and at Travelport.
John Jackson becomes chief operations and customer service officer and Ron Karger, chief technical officer.
Karger oversaw Canadian carrier Encore Airlines’ growth from start-up to a fleet of 42 Dash 8-400 aircraft, the type Flybe will operate.