Trevor Lunn MLA said: “I find it quite astonishing that the Department of Enterprise is not doing more to attract air routes to destinations in countries such as Germany, Austria and Scandinavia, all of whose economies are performing above average in the Eurozone.
“If we are being serious about wanting to attract investment from these countries then having a direct route is vital to doing so.
“I was disappointed by the answer that the Minister gave when I brought up this issue in the Assembly. She agreed with me of the importance of these destinations for Northern Ireland’s economy but she did not provide any example of where her Department was close to securing one of this air routes.
“If foreign business leaders are to view Northern Ireland as an attractive place to invest then we risk putting them off if they have to get a connecting flight to get here.”
ENDS