Irish carrier Aer Lingus has announced the formation of a codeshare deal with British Airways.

The agreement covers all of Aer Lingus' services between new base Belfast and Heathrow Airport, which will begin on January 14th 2008, offering greater choice for travellers between the two destinations.

Northern Irish holidaymakers will be able to earn and spend frequent flyer miles from both Aer Lingus and British Airways, as well as being able to obtain boarding passes for all services when beginning the check-in process.

"We're delighted to have a presence in Northern Ireland again by expanding our current codeshare arrangement with Aer Lingus," commented Willie Walsh, British Airways chief executive.

"Many of the passengers will be transferring on to our global network at Heathrow and we look forward to welcoming them onboard our flights."

Aer Lingus will offer a wide range of European flights from its new Belfast base when it opens, including those to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Geneva, Rome, Budapest, Malaga and Faro.

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