The Aer Lingus Belfast City to London Heathrow flight contributed to a relatively strong performance for parent company IAG’s domestic business, despite another large loss for the Republic’s flag carrier.
Latest accounts reported to the London Stock Exchange showed IAG’s domestic market recorded a load factor – the percentage of scheduled seats it filled – at 74.9% in 2021, down just 12.3% on 2019, the year used for comparison prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and up 3.9% up on 2020.
IAG, which also owns British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, said the Aer Lingus shuttle service from Belfast City to Heathrow benefited from the trend for UK holidaymakers opting for domestic breaks during the year due to the strict and expensive entry requirements for a number of overseas countries.
