The UK Government has shortlisted fifteen domestic routes deemed eligible for financial support through its Regional Air Connectivity Fund (RACF). Launched in June 2013, the RACF offers airlines financial support to open up domestic and international routes to UK airports which see fewer than 5 million passengers per year. The fund has a total of GBP56 million (USD86 million) available to cover three years of financial support for each route's initial start-up phase.

As such, following an invitation for proposals that closed in February of this year, the UK Ministry of Transport says it received applications for approximately twenty routes. Those twenty then underwent initial scrutinization following which they were whittled down to fifteen which include:

Links Air (Humberside): Teesside-Belfast City (Double daily return week days, single return Sunday); Norwich-Newcastle, GB (Weekday double daily return); and Oxford Kidlington-Edinburgh (Double daily return week days, single return Sunday).

Stobart Air (Dublin International): Carlisle-Belfast International (Daily return service); Carlisle-Dublin International (Daily return service); and Carlisle-London Southend (Daily return service).

bmi regional (Aberdeen Dyce): Doncaster/Sheffield-Frankfurt International (Weekday return service).

Citywing (Isle of Man): Londonderry City of Derry-Dublin (Double daily return week days, single return Sunday).

flybe. (2002) (Exeter): Dundee-Amsterdam Schiphol (Daily return service); Newquay-Leeds/Bradford (5x weekly return service in summer; 3x weekly return service in winter); Norwich International-Paris CDG (Daily return service); Norwich-Dublin International (Double daily return weekdays single return weekend); Norwich-Exeter (Daily return service); Southampton-Lyon St. Exupéry (Double daily return weekdays single return weekend); and Southampton-Munich (Double daily return weekdays single return weekend).

Having passed the initial application stage, the proposals will now undergo strategic and economic appraisal with airlines challenged to prove the route's long term viability post government funding. The deadline for submissions for this part of the bidding process is October 9.