Belfast International Airport Aldergrove Airport | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||||
.jpg) | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Vinci Airports | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Belfast | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Aldergrove,County Antrim, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||
| Focus city for | |||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 268 ft / 82 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°39′27″N006°12′57″W / 54.65750°N 6.21583°W /54.65750; -6.21583 | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www.belfastairport.com | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  EGAA Location in Northern Ireland Show map of Northern Ireland EGAA EGAA (island of Ireland) Show map of island of Ireland | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Sources: UKAIP atNATS[2] Statistics from theUK Civil Aviation Authority[3] | |||||||||||||||
Belfast International Airport (IATA:BFS,ICAO:EGAA) is aninternational airport 11.5 NM (21.3 km; 13.2 mi)[2] northwest ofBelfast inNorthern Ireland, and is the main airport for the city of Belfast. Until 1983, it was known asAldergrove Airport, after the nearby village ofAldergrove, County Antrim. In 2024, over 6.7 million passengers travelled through the airport, a 13.0% increase compared with 2023, and the highest number in the airport's history.[3] The majority of flights from Belfast International are operated byeasyJet, Northern Ireland's biggest airline. It features flights to some European metropolitan and several leisure destinations.
Belfast International has aCAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. The airfield was previously shared with theRoyal Air Force baseRAF Aldergrove, which closed in 2008. The base is now known as Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station, Aldergrove, and both runways are now owned by the airport. The airport is owned and operated byVinci Airports which was previously owned by ADC & HAS.[4]
.jpg)
%2c_Belfast_International%2c_May_1994_(02).jpg)
The airport lies within theparish of Killead, between the small villages of Killead (to the east) and Aldergrove (to the west). The site for the airport was established in 1917, when it was selected to be aRoyal Flying Corps (RFC) training establishment during theFirst World War. The airport remained open at the end of the war for RAF activity.
Civil traffic began in 1922,[dubious –discuss] when flights were conducted to fly newspapers fromChester. The first scheduled passenger service was started in 1933 by the Scottish airlineMidland & Scottish Air Ferries. This service consisted of two daily flights each way between Aldergrove andRenfrew Airport,Glasgow.[5] This was subsequently augmented by a twice-daily, return service toCroydon, at that time London's airport, with stops at theIsle of Man,Liverpool andBirmingham.[6]
During theSecond World War, Aldergrove remained an RAF station particularly for theCoastal Command. So that the airport could accommodate larger, long-range aircraft, a major works programme was undertaken to replace the four existing runways with two new long paved runways, thereby forming the basis of the layout that still exists at the airport today.
One of the outcomes of the wartime airfield construction programme was the building ofNutts Corner Airport, just 3 mi (4.8 km) from Aldergrove. On 1 December 1946, the new site replaced Belfast Harbour Airport (nowGeorge Best Belfast City Airport) as Northern Ireland's civil airport, as the Harbour Airport was considered unsuitable.
By the 1950s civil air traffic had outstripped the facilities at Nutts Corner and aircraft were being regularly diverted to Aldergrove because of adverse weather conditions. In July 1959 the decision was made to move civil flights to Aldergrove to take advantage of the large airfield and this took place in October 1963.
A newterminal andapron were built, with the necessary passenger facilities, and the complex was opened byQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on 28 October 1963. The first regular jet service toLondon–Gatwick started in 1966, and in 1968 Aer Lingus andBOAC introduced scheduled services toNew York City viaShannon andPrestwick respectively.
In 1971, Northern Ireland Airports Limited was formed to operate and develop the airport and its facilities. A major programme of airfield upgrades was undertaken, resulting in improvements to runways,taxiways and the parking apron.
A new International Pier was built together with lounge facilities and car parks, while an additional apron was provided to separate the smallergeneral aviation aircraft from largecommercial jets. In the meantime,British Airways launched the first Belfast toLondon–Heathrow shuttle service and the firstBoeing 747 operated from the airport on a charter service to Toronto via Shannon. The first scheduled service to a European city was started by NLM Cityhopper (nowKLM Cityhopper) flying toAmsterdam.
In 1983 the airport, renamed Belfast International, was regularly accommodating the largest civil aircraft in service and with the installation of new technology was capable of all-weather operations. In 1985 passenger numbers reached 1.5 million andBritish Midland International (BMI) went into competition withBritish Airways on theLondon–Heathrow service. Further developments to the terminal occurred throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, extending the terminal's landside and airside area. A new Executive Aviation Terminal was also opened in 1987 and the new cargo centre opened in 1991.
The airport was privatised in 1994.TBI became the new owner of the airport on 13 August 1996, by which time annual passenger numbers had reached 2.5 million.
In 1998,easyJet started operations from the airport with flights toLondon–Luton. Since then the airline has established a large base at Belfast International and a further twelve domestic routes and twenty-three directEuropean scheduled routes have been added to the network, making the airline the largest user of the airport.[7]
In 2005,Continental Airlines launched the first ever nonstop scheduled service toNewark; this continued to operate under theUnited Airlines brand until the route's termination in January 2017.[8]
In July 2013, it was confirmed thatabertis would sell Belfast International Airport,Stockholm Skavsta Airport &Orlando Sanford International Airport to ADC & HAS based in theUnited States. In February 2015 the airport re-opened the viewing gallery that had been closed for 10 years which provides a view of theapron and the runways that serve the airport. It also includes live ATC, arrival and departure boards, and a live flight radar screen.[9] However, this was later closed again in October 2019.
In 2014, news emerged of talks between the airport andTurkish Airlines.[10] This could have led to a service linking Belfast into the worldwide Turkish route network, but did not materialise.
From 2015,Virgin Atlantic offered weekly services toOrlando usingBoeing 747-400 aircraft with occasional services provided by the airline'sAirbus A330 fleet. These flights served tourist traffic during the summer months (typically June - August). The service was suspended with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to date has not returned.
Ryanair opened a base at the airport in 2016, initially operating flights to nine destinations. The airline said it would carry 1.1 million passengers a year out of the airport. In 2017 and 2018,Norwegian Air Shuttle operated long-haul services toNewburgh andProvidence.[11]
In April 2018,Vinci Airports acquired an airport portfolio held by Airports Worldwide (previously named ADC & HAS),[12] with the transaction expected to close later that year, Vinci Airports became the new owner of Belfast International Airport.[13]
2018 also saw further suggestions of an international carrier providing access to a global network. This timeQatar Airways was mooted,[14] but again, any such proposal did not come to fruition.
Thomas Cook Airlines had a seasonal base at the airport, until their collapse in September 2019. They operated routes to Europe and some other destinations, operated by anAirbus A321 aircraft. Every July, they operated long-haul flights from Belfast toCancún andOrlando, operated by theirAirbus A330 aircraft. In August 2021,Ryanair announced they would be ending its operations at both of Belfast's airports.[15] In July 2022,Ryanair announced that they will be returning to Belfast International Airport, in addition to opening a base.[16]
In summer 2023, work began on a significant terminal expansion, to accommodate new security scanning equipment.[17] This is to be operational by summer 2024.
In February 2025, a new duty free under the Aelia Duty Free brand was announced, being operated byLagardère Travel Retail, concessions in the duty free include Discover Belfast,Jo Malone London,MINISO andCharlotte Tilbury Beauty. The duty free opened on 3 April 2025, replacing a previous duty free in the airport.[18][19]
In May 2025, First MinisterMichelle O'Neill and deputy First MinisterEmma Little-Pengelly officially opened the first phase of a £100 million investment programme into the airport by its owners. This included a new security hall, which upgrades mean that passengers no longer have to remove liquids or electronics from their hand luggage.[20][21][22]
The following airlines operate regular scheduled flights to and from Belfast–International:[23]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| DHL Aviation[59] | East Midlands |
| Maersk Air Cargo[60] | East Midlands |
Woodgate Aviation has a base at the airport, featuring a private jet terminal, with facilities to accommodate small aircraft. Their 33,000 sq ft (3,100 m2) hangar was constructed in 2015, and at the time of completion, access to hangar floor was through Europe's largest hydraulic door.[61]
Global Trek Aviation, opened as the thirdFBO on the airfield, during 2015.[62][63] This was part of the airport's commercial drive to develop thenon-scheduled,military andGA development at the airport.[64] This had notable success with an increase in growth across thesemovement types at Belfast International Airport.[65]
Belfast International handled over 6.7 million passengers in 2024.[66] The airport is the busiest in Northern Ireland and the10th-busiest airport in the UK by passenger traffic in 2024.[3]
| Year | Number of Passengers[67] | Number of Movements[68] | Freight (tonnes)[3] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 2,476,834 | 35,070 | 24,838 |
| 1998 | 2,671,848 | 38,976 | 25,275 |
| 1999 | 3,035,907 | 44,817 | 25,773 |
| 2000 | 3,147,670 | 41,256 | 30,599 |
| 2001 | 3,618,671 | 45,706 | 32,130 |
| 2002 | 3,576,785 | 38,453 | 29,474 |
| 2003 | 3,976,703 | 39,894 | 29,620 |
| 2004 | 4,407,413 | 43,373 | 32,148 |
| 2005 | 4,824,271 | 47,695 | 37,878 |
| 2006 | 5,038,692 | 48,412 | 38,417 |
| 2007 | 5,272,664 | 51,085 | 38,429 |
| 2008 | 5,262,354 | 55,000 | 36,115 |
| 2009 | 4,546,475 | 44,796 | 29,804 |
| 2010 | 4,016,170 | 40,324 | 29,716 |
| 2011 | 4,103,620 | 57,460 | 31,062 |
| 2012 | 4,313,685 | 58,011 | 29,095 |
| 2013 | 4,023,336 | 54,003 | 29,288 |
| 2014 | 4,033,954 | 50,973 | 30,073 |
| 2015 | 4,391,307 | 52,246 | 30,389 |
| 2016 | 5,147,546 | 55,155 | 7,597 |
| 2017 | 5,836,552 | 58,152 | 12,308 |
| 2018 | 6,269,025 | 60,541 | 27,672 |
| 2019 | 6,278,563 | 47,230 | 25,095 |
| 2020 | 1,747,086 | 19,416 | 27,946 |
| 2021 | 2,328,276 | 24,008 | 28,225 |
| 2022 | 4,818,214 | 38,489 | 23,526 |
| 2023 | 5,957,055 | 57,761 | 22,280 |
| 2024 | 6,733,949 |
| Rank | Airport | Total passengers | Change 2023-24 | Airline(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London–Stansted | 569,257 |  16.3% | easyJet, Ryanair |
| 2 | Manchester | 543,715 | 7.6% | easyJet, Ryanair |
| 3 | Edinburgh | 519,103 | 19.6% | easyJet, Ryanair |
| 4 | London–Gatwick | 444,142 |  8.3% | easyJet |
| 5 | Liverpool | 398,909 | 1.2% | easyJet |
| 6 | Birmingham | 359,839 | 2.7% | easyJet |
| 7 | London–Luton | 349,747 | 4.1% | easyJet |
| 8 | Glasgow | 309,478 | 0.2% | easyJet |
| 9 | Bristol | 267,648 | 1.7% | easyJet |
| 10 | Alicante | 257,124 | 37.0% | easyJet, Jet2.com, Ryanair |
| 11 | Faro | 253,404 | 6.7% | easyJet, Jet2.com, Ryanair |
| 12 | Málaga | 253,170 | 18.0% | easyJet, Jet2.com, Ryanair, TUI |
| 13 | Newcastle | 234,096 | 13.7% | easyJet |
| 14 | Palma de Mallorca | 214,551 | 4.5% | easyJet, Jet2.com, Ryanair, TUI |
| 15 | Tenerife–South | 175,617 | 18.7% | easyJet, Jet2.com, TUI |
| 16 | Lanzarote | 145,377 | 61.3% | easyJet, Jet2.com, Ryanair, TUI |
| 17 | Paris–Charles de Gaulle | 140,827 | 31.5% | easyJet |
| 18 | Amsterdam | 74,836 | 1.8% | easyJet |
| 19 | Dalaman | 52,418 | 38.6% | easyJet, Jet2.com, TUI |
| 20 | Kraków | 70,512 | 47.1% | easyJet, Ryanair |
Travellers by car can reach the airport fromBelfast via theM2 motorway. The airport operates four car parks, three on-site car parks and one off-site car park. The on-site short-stay and main car parks are situated within easy walking distance of the terminal building, and an on-demand courtesy bus operates to and from the on-site long-stay car park. The off-site short- or long-stay car park, called 'Park and Fly', is located just before the main entrance to the airport, and is also serviced by a courtesy bus.[70]
Translink operates anexpress bus service 300 to the airport from itsBelfast Grand Central. This runs 24 hours a day, every 15 minutes at peak times. Translink also offers bus connections to Antrim railway station. The airport can be reached fromDerry and the northwest bythe Airporter. The 109A bus service operates fromLisburn bus centre in Lisburn City Centre.
The nearest railway station isAntrim railway station, 10 km (6.2 mi) from the airport in Antrim. There are connections to Belfast, Lisburn and Derry.
A new station serving the airport could be constructed on the mothballedLisburn-Antrim railway line, as set out in the airport master plan. This line remains in serviceable condition and passes close to the airport terminal. It has also been listed in a public review of the future of Northern Ireland railways.[71]
Media related toBelfast International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
| Northern Ireland |
|  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland (statistics) |
| |||||
Smaller airports handling domestic, charter or private services only. | ||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
