BMI British Midland will reinstate four daily flights from Belfast International Airport to London Heathrow in response to British Airway's decision last week to axe the route from its schedules.

The move is a turnaround for BMI British Midland, which just two months ago announced plans to relocate its operations in Northern Ireland from Belfast International to rival Belfast City Airport.

Mr Austin Reid, BMI's chief executive, said the airline still intended to move the majority of its business to City Airport, but said it recognised there was demand for a Heathrow service from Belfast International.

BMI British Midland will now operate 11 daily flights in total from Northern Ireland to London Heathrow - four from Belfast International and seven from Belfast City.

BMI British Midland's move to reverse its earlier decision is a major boost for the airport's parent company, TBI. Mr Keith Brooks, chief executive of TBI, said he believed BMI's decision illustrated the potential of the Belfast to Heathrow route.

Low-cost operator EasyJet said British Midland's decision to reinstate the Belfast International route would not have any impact on its campaign to introduce a Belfast-London Heathrow route.

EasyJet wants to take over British Airways' former Belfast slots at Heathrow, but British Airways has said the prized London slots had already been allocated to other routes. EasyJet's passenger numbers were down 3 per cent in September on corresponding August figures but, year-on-year, its passenger traffic has increased by 27 per cent.