The Irish Government has indicated that they are ready to provide funding to kickstart flights between Derry and Dublin.
Earlier this year, local author Hazel McIntyre, who lives in Donegal called for the flight route to be reinstated as she regularly travels to Dublin with her husband Charles who suffers from lung cancer.
She said the long journey is leaving him "utterly exhausted" upon their return to the North West.
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In 2016, it was anticipated that operator Citywing Aviation Services would run a service between City of Derry Airport and Dublin Airport. However, that was later quashed following the Brexit referendum.
The new hope for the flight revival comes after Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was ‘anxious’ for funding to be made available for the route.
The Irish premiers' latest words came after he was asked about the funding by the Leader of the Opposition in the Dáil, Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald.
“The Taoiseach met with a cross-party delegation of councillors from Donegal, Derry and Strabane earlier this year," Ms McDonald said.
“Reopening the Derry to Dublin air route would create enormous opportunities for the north-west.
"At that meeting, the Taoiseach agreed to engage further with the Minister for Transport on these matters and noted the Government's interest in working with the aviation authorities and airlines to get this service going. What progress has been made on that matter?"
In response, Mr Martin said: “Regarding the north west, I have spoken to the Minister for Transport on this matter. I am anxious for that to happen, but it is in the transport domain right now.”
The Department of Transport has been contacted for comment but did not provide one at the time of publication.
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