In testimony before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of the UK Parliament, Belfast International Airport Business Development Director Uel Hoey blamed a failure of marketing on the part of Tourism Ireland for lack of demand for air service from the USA and Canada to Northern Ireland.

In 2018 Norwegian Air discontinued as unprofitable the last remaining transatlantic services to Belfast from North America.

Mr. Hoey also cited double APD charged passengers flying between Belfast and elsewhere in the UK as a competitive disadvantage vs. Dublin.

A responding statement by Tourism Ireland said in part:

“Tourism Ireland plays a significant role in helping to grow connectivity to Northern Ireland and leverages significant investment in co-operative marketing from air and sea carriers and other travel partners."