Belfast to Newark in jeopardy

The Belfast to Newark service operated by Continental Airlines is under threat because of the high cost of Air Passenger Duty charged in Northern Ireland. Established in 2005, the direct service to Newark carries in the region of 100,000 passengers annually, and brings in roughly $20m to the local economy. The airline currently shoulders the cost of the ADP but is being stung by the high level of tax which makes it much more expensive to fly from Belfast than from Dublin. If the costs were passed on to the customer it is feared that revenue would fall as people opted to fly from the Republic with its greater choice of routes and much cheaper fares. This could lead to the loss of Northern Ireland's only direct flight to the USA.

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