Written Question·Northern Ireland Office·UIN 91962

Airports: Northern Ireland

Tabled: 18 November 2025
Answered: 26 November 2025

Question

Jim Shannon

Democratic Unionist Party — Strangford

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Windsor Framework on local airports.

Answer

Hilary Benn

The Windsor Framework gives Northern Ireland unique dual market access which ensures the free movement of goods across the UK and the EU, whilst maintaining the frictionless movement of people and goods on the island of Ireland.

Duty-free shopping is not available between Northern Ireland and the EU, as it would require the application of personal allowances and associated border checks, to prevent the uncontrolled flow of tax-free goods into either Northern Ireland or the EU.