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Prestwick-Bound Travellers Treated to a Lyrical Check-in
Passengers arriving at the City of Derry Airport in Northern Ireland today were treated to the sounds of a traditional Scottish piper as VisitScotland teamed up with Ryanair to host a celebration of Burns Night.
For those lucky enough to be travelling on the Ryanair flight from Northern Ireland
into Prestwick in Scotland, there are extra treats to mark the life and work of the country’s famous bard. Adult passengers on the Derry to Prestwick flight received
complimentary goodie bags containing Walkers shortbread and a miniature Johnnie
Walker bottle of whisky. They were also given Robert Burns songbooks and join
members of the crew in celebrating the unique talents of Scotland’s bard.
The initiative aimed to give passengers a real taste of Scotland on their journey to the home of Robert Burns. Burns Night is celebrated every year across Northern Ireland, with an increasing range of events scheduled throughout the province with thousands of Ulster Scots expected to raise a toast to commemorate the life of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet. Passengers on the Derry to Prestwick flight are among
thousands of Burns enthusiasts from Northern Ireland expected to make the
journey to perhaps the best place to soak up the tradition and culture…in
Scotland itself. City of Derry Airport currently operate seven weekly
flights to Glasgow, Prestwick, please visit www.cityofderryairport.com for
flight timetable.
Mayor of Derry Alderman Maurice Devenney commented: “We are very pleased to support VisitScotland in bringing a taste of Scotland to the City of Derry Airport in
celebration of Burns Night this year. The traditional piper proved somewhat of a wake-up call for passengers arriving early to the airport. Beyond our ancestral connections, I believe Northern Ireland has a special affinity with Scotland in terms of the warmth and hospitality of our people. We are therefore delighted to support this special Burns Night
initiative.”
Maria Macken of Ryanair said: “Ryanair is delighted to welcome Northern Ireland passengers into Scotland on this special day. There is no better place to celebrate Burns night than in the birthplace of the poet himself. Ryanair operates a total of 62 routes to and from Scotland, giving passengers all over Europe the chance to explore this fascinating country.”
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: “People from all over the
world enjoy celebrating the work of Scotland’s Bard on Burns Night. Rabbie Burns is an iconic symbol of our country. Visitors to Scotland can visit some of the wonderful places connected with Burns as well as experience our famous traditional Burns Night supper this evening.”
There are a number of special and surprising Burns events scheduled across Scotland this year. Whisky lovers will find a warm welcome at Burns-themed events at the Scotch whisky training school at the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh while the Famous Grouse distillery in Perthshire is hosting a special Burns tour to include; a dram, a serving of haggis, neeps and tatties and a Burns recital. Music and storytelling promise merry-making for all ages with a special Burnsfest for 2012 taking place as part of Scotland’s Winter Festivals in the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh. Those visiting the region of Dumfries and Galloway, can enjoy a new festival - the Big Burns Supper taking place from 27 - 28 January.
For those inspired by Burns Night to explore Scotland in 2012, should go to www.visitscotland.com/surprise, which also contains over 300 discount vouchers for places to stay, things to see and do and places to eat across Scotland.
Travellers to Scotland can avail of additional celebrations this year. The Year of Creative Scotland began on January 1, 2012 and celebrates Scotland’s cultural and creative strengths on a world stage with a dynamic and exciting year-long programme of activity celebrating our world-class events, festivals, culture and heritage. More information about the programme can be found at: http://www.visitscotland.com/creative
Building on the fantastic choice of flights on offer from City of Derry Airport this winter, including 9 flights per week to London & Liverpool, 7 to Glasgow Prestwick and 4 to Birmingham, we are delighted to announce our preliminary summer sun schedule for 2012 which includes:
• Alicante (Ryanair);
• Faro (Ryanair);
• Tenerife (Ryanair);
• Salou (Falcon Holidays); and
• Majorca (Falcon Holidays).
All flights are now on sale via the Ryanair or Falcon websites, or speak to your local travel agent. There are some excellent deals available for advance bookings so why not see what great bargains you can find to treat the family this summer?
City of Derry Airport has undergone a major transformation in the past
two years, with a modernisation programme that has delivered a significantly
better passenger experience. Some of theimprovements include:
• Brand new Security Search Area – speeding up passenger processing times;
• Free Wi – Fi – available to all passengers;
• Car Parking Booking System – offering customers the ability to book in
advance and save;
• Passenger Lounge – offering a place to relax and unwind
before your trip; and
• Airport Shopping – an improved shopping experience to get
those last minute essentials
The programme has also helped us secure a 20% increase in passenger volumes during 2011 and an additional two passenger routes. Whilst the rest of the UK and Ireland is seeing a reduction in passenger volumes, CoDA is continuing to grow, once again securing our place as the principle gateway to the North West of Ireland.
For more details of the routes available or to take advantage of any of the items listed above please visit www.cityofderryairport.com or visit our Facebook Page.
Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, announced that its popular Derry to Alicante route is back in the summer 2012 schedule, which will now offer 6 low fares routes.
Ryanair celebrated its extended summer 2012 schedule by releasing 1 million £9.99 seats for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on over 1,000 routes across its European network, in February & March. These £9.99 seats are available for booking onwww.ryanair.com until midnight Monday (9th Jan).
Ryanair’s £9.99 Seat Sale includes all taxes and charges so passengers who choose to avoid discretionary fees by paying for Ryanair’s cheapest flights with MasterCard Prepaid, travel with carry on luggage only and decline our priority boarding service can book, check-in online and fly for this advertised £9.99 fare on these seat sale flights.
Seats on Ryanair’s summer route from Derry to Alicante will go on sale today with fares starting from £57.99 one way inclusive for travel in July & August.
Ryanair’s Maria Macken said:
“Ryanair is pleased to announce the addition of our popular Derry – Alicante route to our summer 2012 schedule, which will now offer 6 low fares routes. From July 2nd our Alicante route will operate two times weekly throughout the summer giving passengers in Derry even more choice when it comes to visiting Spain.
Speaking after the announcement, Airport Managing Director, Damien Tierney, welcomed the new route saying;
“Alicante, Spain has proven to be one of our most popular sunshine destination over recent years. Alicante is perfect for that summer break and is ideal for relaxing beach , water sports and golfing holidays. Situated along the Mediterranean Sea the direct flight to Alicante will bring sunshine closer to the North West and will continue to be a popular choice for many holidaymakers locally".
Mr Tierney said; "This is positive news and it is a reflection of the hard work that goes on between the airport and Ryanair to deliver an ever improving route network from the airport".
City of Derry Airport also provides direct services to Glasgow Prestwick, Birmingham, London Stansted, Liverpool and Faro. The 2012 summer schedule is currently being finalized and the final details will be announced shortly.
This year's Irish Open will be staged at Royal Portrush for the first time since 1947, BBC Sport understands.
The European Tour is set to confirm details of the 28 June to 1 July tournament at the venue on Friday.
Major winners Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy have all called for a tour event at the course on Northern Ireland's Antrim coast.
...
The Stormont Executive said last year it would provide "substantial financial backing" for such a tournament.
Killarney has hosted the event over the last two years while there was been speculation that it would be staged in the Dublin area in 2012.
Carton House, near Maynooth, was also mentioned as a possible location this year.
The tournament remains without a sponsor but US Open champion Rory McIlroy has already guaranteed his participation at Royal Portrush.
McDowell and Clarke, who both have strong links with the north coast, have agreed to act in an ambassadorial role for Royal Portrush, which will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2013.
"Fantastic news on the Irish Open 2012 coming to Royal Portrush," McDowell told his Twitter followers.
"Always been a dream of mine to play a top event in my home town," he added.
Harry Bradshaw won the Irish Open when it was last held at Royal Portrush, which also hosted the event in 1930 and 1936.
The Open Championship was last played at Portrush in 1951 and there was a clamour for the major to return to the course after Darren Clarke's success at Sandwich last year.
City of Derry Airport requests expression of interest to enable the pre-qualification of firms/ companies for the provision / supply of following goods & services:
1. Catering Concession
2. Bureau de Change Concession
3. Cleaning Contractors
4. High Mast Lighting Contractors
5. Western Hangar Refurbishment Contractors
6. Toilet Refurbishment Contractors
City of Derry Airport (CoDA) provides a vital air access link for the local community and performs a pivotal role in the economics of the region. In 2011 the airport handled 380,000 passengers to a range of destinations across the UK and Europe as well as being one of the principle gateways to the NW of Ireland. This pre-qualification notification requests firms / companies to register their intent for the following opportunities:
1. Catering – provision of landside and airside catering and bar facilities. The existing facilities at the airport are in need of investment to develop and improve the offering to our passengers. CoDA intends to award a 3 – 7 year concession depending on level of investment and commercial agreement proposed. The scope of the concession includes the provision of hot & cold food, tea & coffee, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.
2. Bureau de Change (BdeC) – the existing BdeC is operated by CoDA staff at the landside Customer Service desk. CoDA intends to contract with a reputable provider to either replace the existing facility or expand the service to include a provision airside. The use of an ATM to provide this service to our passengers would also be considered.
3. Cleaning Contractors – CoDA requires a contractor for all forms of cleaning at the airport including day-to-day duties, window cleaning, carpet and upholstery cleaning. CoDA intends to contract with one firm to provide all of these services. CoDA requires a flexible approach with resources generally provided at times of the day when passengers are not using the airport. Cleaning performance will be recorded against a range of criteria & KPIs with financial penalties when performance is not at agreed levels.
4. High Mast Lighting – CoDA will complete the replacement of its airside floodlighting to the aircraft parking area by April 2012. The work will involved the design, supply and installation of new floodlighting and foundation bases in accordance with a performance and concept design. The contractor will be accountable for the compliance of the final installation and the performance to the Civil Aviation Authority CAP 168.
5. Western Hangar Refurbishment – CoDA will invest in a project to refurbish and improve the western apron hangar in early 2012. The works will include the removal of existing and provision of new wall and roof cladding, repairs to the steel frame, installation of new lighting, improving the electrical installation and improvements to the surrounding fence. CoDA will procure the works from a single contractor with the ability to either perform all of the items of work or to perform the majority and manage a number of their sub contractors.
6. Terminal Landside Toilet Refurbishment – CoDA will invest in a project to refurbish the terminal landside toilets in early 2012. The works will include the replacement of all sanitary ware, redecoration, new partitions, plumbing, lighting and fit out. The works will be carried out in a public area and will need to be carefully phased to ensure that facilities remain available during the course of the works. CoDA will procure the works from a single contractor.
The pre-qualification questionnaire(s), which will be due for return before 23/12/11, will be a high-level document(s) requesting company financial and background information. This will allow CoDA to refine the list of potential companies before sending out a more detailed tender pack over the Christmas period. The return dates for this final part of the tender will be mid / late January 2012. Award criteria for all the lots advertised will be detailed within the information sent to those selected to tender. Please note that airports are highly regulated and security focussed operational environments. Experience of working in such an environment would be an advantage but is not essential.
To register for any of these opportunities email the following address, with details of the lots you wish to tender for, before 16/12/2011 at 17.00hrs: TenderEOI@cityofderryairport.com. A pre-qualification questionnaire will then be forwarded to you. At the same time you will also be forwarded more details of the tender process including; contact details and preliminary timetable and submission requirements.
Passenger numbers at City of Derry Airport continue to grow after a highly successful summer season which saw the introduction of a new carrier, Flybe, operating to Manchester and our largest carrier, Ryanair, introducing a new Tenerife service. All this has been possible despite a general downturn in the aviation sector across the rest of the UK & Ireland; new figures released this week reveal.
According to the CAA statistics for September 2011, a total of 35,054 passengers used City of Derry Airport compared to 30,147 passengers for the same period in 2010. Welcoming the increase in passenger numbers, the Airport Manager Damien Tierney said he was delighted City of Derry Airport was continuing to attract passengers from across the regional community despite the economic downturn:
“The rolling 12 month average in passenger numbers continues to improve and is now above 390,000 for the first time since 2008. The 12 month comparison between September 2010 and September 2011 at City of Derry and the two Belfast airports is significant, with Derry being the only airport to record a positive increase for the period (17.44%). We have also increased our overall share of the NI market from 4.6% in 2010 to 5.6% in 2011. This really does reflect both the excellent facilities and routes on offer at this airport but most importantly the support we enjoy from the local and regional community.”
The Airport Manager said the decision by Ryanair to change the second daily Stansted rotation from Sunday back to Monday has been a major boost to the airport and has been very positively received by regular travellers.
City of Derry Airport are delighted to announce that during Winter 2011/12, 29 weekly flights will operate from the airport. This includes nine weekly services to Stansted and nine weekly services to Liverpool, in addition to the seven weekly services to Glasgow Prestwick and four to Birmingham.
The Peace Bridge is part of Derry’s regeneration programme. Funded by the European Union’s PEACE III programme (Shared Space initiative), the Peace Bridge will be a living landmark and a lasting legacy. Construction of the bridge commenced in January 2010 and was opened on June 25th 2011.
The bridge measures 235 metres bank to bank and is approximately 4 metres wide, with landing points at the rear of the Guildhall and Ebrington. The design concept for the bridge itself is based on the idea of two hands reaching out to link together and links together the previously divided communities on either side of the River Foyle.
The project was a first in Northern Ireland, in that social clauses in the contract ensured the employment of twelve local unemployed people, most of whom have gone on to secure full time employment with GRAHAM.
A Belgian Air Force F16 fighter jet performs aerial acrobatics over City of Derry Airport ahead of todays Portrush International Air show. The single seater jet can achieve speeds of unto 1500 miles per hour and can climb at a rate of 254 meters per second. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com.
The tenth running of the NI International Airshow in Portrush is set to welcome back a number of crowd favourites who couldn’t attend last year.
The free show, sponsored by SPAR and NITB, takes place at the seaside town on the first weekend of September. The ever-popular Team Guinot Wingwalkers are back with a stunning new paint job and a new name, Team Breitling, named after the famous Swiss watches. The thrilling stunt show which features girls standing on the wing while the aircraft performs loops and spins has always been popular with spectators and were much missed from last year’s programme. To celebrate the tenth show the team has made a special effort to make it to the north coast and will use the occasion to give a thrill of a lifetime to our VIP guest during the show.
One of the reasons for the spectacular popularity of the event is that it is much more than just an airshow. There will be something to appeal to all tastes. The shoreline is packed with arena shows such as England’s Crazy Bear Roadshow, Yorkshire’s Rapide Brothers, World War 2 re-enactors, model aircraft, quiz shows and giveaways, 80 trade stands, Royal Navy rugby, RAF Typhoon cockpit, simulators, Candy Devine’s Downtown Radio show, Royal Marine Unarmed Combat demo and of course the parade and poppy drop to mark the 90th year of the Royal British Legion.
