FLYBE, Europe’s largest regional airline, has celebrated 15 years of connecting Southampton to Belfast City Airport that now offers up to 21 flights a week.

To celebrate the milestone, passengers at Southampton Airport were treated to a performance by traditional Irish dancers as they waited for their flight to depart.

In addition, the passenger seated in 15B (the B standing for Belfast) was surprised by being presented with a voucher for two free return flights on the popular route.

Roy Kinnear, Flybe’s chief commercial officer, said: “We are pleased to have been operating this very popular route from Southampton to Belfast City for 15 years. In that time, it has gone from strength to strength and we now operate up to three flights a day to the heart of Northern Ireland’s capital, the airport being a mere ten minutes from the bustling city centre.”

Managing Director of Southampton Airport, Neil Garwood, added: “We are delighted to join Flybe in their 15-year celebration of this fantastic route. Belfast is a very attractive location, with incredibly-friendly people and - just like Southampton - rich in maritime history and the Titanic story, and we are looking forward to seeing even more passengers breezing through to Northern Ireland. Here’s to 15 more!”