New Irish low-cost carrier Fly Atlantic plans to launch transatlantic routes from Belfast to the United States and Canada by summer 2024.
Backed by Andrew Pyne, who has a history with start-ups as a former strategic adviser to now defunct Icelandic carrier WOW Air, Fly Atlantic plans to launch flights with a fleet of six aircraft, according to The Irish News.
Pyne hinted that the airline would lease “a number of Boeing 737 MAX or Airbus 321 aircraft”, which are capable of the transatlantic hop, The Irish News said.
Pyne also highlighted that Fly Atlantic’s market advantage is its aim to operate a fleet of narrow-body aircraft capable of non-stop transatlantic flights, something that WOW Air did not have access to.
“Our vision is of Belfast as a strong aviation hub linking Europe and North America. The lack of direct transatlantic air services has clearly been an impediment to Northern Ireland’s economic and tourism development, which we now intend to remove,” Pyne explained.
Pyne also noted the airline is still negotiating capital with potential investors. However, it plans to be based at Belfast International Airport.
The airline aims to feed traffic from the United Kingdom, Europe and the near east, moving it into its Belfast hub and onto North America, Pyne added.