United Airlines will be offering its customers from Northern Ireland year-round nonstop service from Belfast to its New York hub, Newark Liberty International Airport.

“We’re pleased to offer our Northern Irish customers a year-round direct link to New York,” said Bob Schumacher, United managing director sales, UK and Ireland.

“New York remains a popular destination for travellers and our Newark Liberty hub provides the most convenient route into the city as well as easy connections to hundreds of other destinations across the United States and beyond. 

“With this schedule change, we are offering our customers even more choice.”

In addition to its current schedule, the airline will now also operate the service from January 7th through to March 10th, 2016, three times weekly.

Belfast International Airport managing director, Graham Keddie, said: “This is wonderful news. We have been working with stakeholders to achieve this outcome and we are delighted it is now being delivered.

“The decision by United to return to full year-round service is of great significance to the Northern Ireland economy.

“Our one and only direct, scheduled trans-Atlantic service to Newark Liberty is a ‘lifeline’ for US-owned firms and adds massively to efforts by Invest NI to attract additional and highly prized US investment.

“United are to be applauded, and we will do all we can to promote and market the service.”