Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy has launched a public consultation on the region’s first coordinated aviation policy, covering nine million-plus annual passengers, a decarbonisation roadmap, and a pointed recognition that market-leading SAF production start-ups are already operating in the region. The consultation closes at 5:00 pm on 22 May 2026.
The policy covers three airports — Belfast International, George Best Belfast City Airport, and City of Derry Airport — which together handled 9.3 million passengers in 2024, up 13% from 8.2 million in 2023. It is the first time post-pandemic passenger volumes have surpassed pre-COVID highs. Gross air tourism-related value added exceeded £619 million, with a net additional economic impact estimated at £400 million after displacement and leakage. The Department for the Economy’s mandate covers economic development, not civil aviation regulation (which remains reserved to Westminster), making this a policy framework document rather than a legislative proposal.
“Market-leading SAF production start-ups are already based in Northern Ireland” — Northern Ireland Department for the Economy, March 2026
The consultation is organized around seven policy positions: route development, regional balance, decarbonisation, Air Passenger Duty reform, an Aviation Advisory Group, duty-free access, and skills. On decarbonisation, the Department commits to supporting industry engagement on SAF alongside the UK Emissions Trading Scheme and CORSIA as the primary policy instruments. The UK SAF Mandate is explicitly cited as a relevant framework. Crucially, the document identifies local SAF production as an economic development opportunity — not just a compliance lever — framing it as a pathway to attract investment and stimulate high-value job creation. Belfast International Airport has already achieved Level 3 Carbon accreditation as part of its sustainability program.
Northern Ireland’s position within UK aviation policy is structurally complicated. Civil aviation is reserved to Westminster, yet the region faces competitive pressures that differ sharply from the rest of the UK. Dublin Airport draws passengers from across the NI catchment area, operates under different tax rules, and benefits from the Republic of Ireland having abolished aviation taxes entirely. A 2024 York Aviation review commissioned by the Department found that the absence of a clear government-led aviation policy had produced “uncoordinated efforts and fragmented interventions.” This consultation is the Department’s answer to that gap.
The APD section is among the consultation’s more pointed proposals. From April 2026, a minimum of £8 is added to every short-haul ticket departing Northern Ireland airports. The Department intends to press Westminster to reform the duty, calling it “an unfair tax” that diverts passengers and airline investment across the border. It will commission independent research on the fiscal and connectivity implications of devolving short-haul APD, noting that long-haul APD is already devolved to Northern Ireland. Under current Treasury rules, any APD reduction would reduce the Block Grant — a fiscal constraint the Department acknowledges explicitly.
On regional connectivity, the policy commits up to £12 million to support City of Derry Airport operations and proposes a route development scheme offering financial incentives for new connections, subject to budget availability. The Department also notes that the Irish Government has committed to reestablishing a Dublin-Derry air route, expected to launch later in 2026. A proposed Aviation Advisory Group would bring together airport and airline operators, Invest NI, Tourism NI, and cross-departmental representation covering decarbonisation, planning, taxation, and surface access.
For SAF producers and investors tracking UK regional policy, the consultation matters beyond what it says about decarbonisation directly. The UK ETS SAF consultation and SAF Mandate are setting the compliance floor across the UK; what this document adds is a regional authority explicitly treating SAF production capacity as a strategic economic asset worth coordinating policy around. An Aviation Advisory Group with a decarbonisation mandate gives SAF a structured seat at a table that did not formally exist before. Whether that translates into concrete procurement or investment facilitation will depend on what follows the consultation — but the framing is a meaningful shift.
