The article highlighted the intention of the airport to seek a runway extension so it could operate flights to more destinations.

In all the excited discussion of the implications of the runway extensions, there was no mention of passenger comfort.

My experience, and that of hundreds of City Airport users, indicates that the airport needs a radical shift in its mindset on passenger care.

Forty minutes before the scheduled departure time, the departure lounge PA system was booming out ‘final call’ for Ryanair flight passengers to go through the departure gate.

Dutifully going through the departure gate meant a one way trip through a door a few feet into a seatless corridor which was notably very chilly that Monday evening.

Twenty-five minutes later the departure gate staff cheerfully admitted, when I asked them, that the Ryanair flight was late and had not yet even landed! Needless to say there was no booming loudspeaker announcement to tell the 150 or so Ryanair passengers standing around in the

corridor that they had effectively been conned into giving up their seats in the departure lounge with a few handy facilities like toilets.

I then tried to phone the airport enquiry desk on my mobile to ask why it was necessary to herd us into a seatless ‘chill cabinet’ to await our plane’s arrival.

The airport switchboard told me there was no one who was around (at 6.15pm) to answer such an enquiry. I was told I would have to call back the next day.

I was eventually able (to make the 50 yard walk) to board the plane at least 45 minutes after the ‘last call’ announcement began to dragoon unsuspecting passengers from their seats in the warm departure lounge.

All in all not exactly a good advert for travelling from Belfast City Airport. Sorry, but it will be Belfast International for me from now on until the concept of customer care is taken more seriously by you.

PETER O'KANE

London