Belfast International Airport
Encyclopedia
Belfast International Airport is a major airport
located 11.5 NM northwest of Belfast
in Northern Ireland
. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runway
s with the Royal Air Force
base RAF Aldergrove
, which otherwise has its own facilities. The airport's runway 07/25, at 9,121 ft (2,780 m) makes it one of the longest runways in the :United Kingdom, and the 2nd longest on the island of Ireland
, surpassing Dublin Airport
's runway 10/28 by 469 ft (143 m)but shorter than Shannon's main runway (3199m)
Around 4 million passengers travelled through the airport in 2010, an 11.7% decline since 2009. Belfast International is the busiest airport in Northern Ireland and the second busiest airport on the island of Ireland
in terms of passenger numbers after Dublin Airport
, and is followed by Belfast-City
, Cork and Shannon
.
The airport is owned by Abertis
, the same company which owns Stockholm Skavsta and Cardiff Airport and is concessionary to Orlando Sanford International Airport
and London Luton.
Belfast International has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P798) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. The airport has taken advantage of the vast amount of land available and its rather distant location compared to Belfast-City
means that the airport operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is not subject to noise abatement
procedures, significant environmental constraints or airspace
limitations.
of Killead, between the small villages of Killead (to the east) and Aldergrove (to the west).
training establishment during the First World War
. The airport remained open at the end of the war for RAF activity.
Civil traffic began in 1922 when flights were conducted flying newspapers from Chester
, although it was not until 1933 that a regular, sustained civil air service started. The flight was to Glasgow
and was operated by Midland and Scottish Air Ferries. This was subsequently augmented by flights to the Isle of Man
, Liverpool
and Croydon
, then London’s airport.
During the Second World War
, Aldergrove remained an RAF base particularly for the Coastal 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.
, just 3 mi (4.8 km) from Aldergrove. On 1 December 1946, the new site replaced Belfast Harbour Airport (now George Best Belfast City Airport) as Northern Ireland’s civil airport, as the site at Sydenham was considered unsuitable.
By the 1950s civil air traffic had outstripped the facilities at Nutts Corner and, in addition, 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 new terminal
and apron
were built with the necessary passenger facilities and the complex was opened by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
on 28 October 1963. In 1966 the first regular jet service to London-Gatwick
started and in 1968 Aer Lingus and BOAC
introduced scheduled services to New York City
via Shannon
and Glasgow-Prestwick respectively.
s 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 smaller general aviation
aircraft from large commercial jets
. In the meantime, British Airways
launched the first Belfast to Heathrow
shuttle service, and the first Boeing 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 (now KLM Cityhopper
) flying to Amsterdam
.
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 and BMI
went into competition with British Airways on the Heathrow service. Further developments to the terminal occurred throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. A new Executive Aviation Terminal was opened in 1987 and the new cargo centre opened in 1991.
The airport was privatised in 1994. TBI became the new owners 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 to London Luton. Since then the airline has established a large base at Belfast International and a further ten domestic routes and twelve direct European scheduled routes have been added to the network, making the airline the largest user of the airport.
In 2005 Continental Airlines
launched the first ever direct scheduled service to Newark, and direct scheduled services were later introduced to Vancouver
with Zoom Airlines
but have now ceased following the carrier's demise in August 2008.
In December 2007 Aer Lingus opened a base at Belfast International, its third hub
(and first outside the Republic of Ireland
). By March 2008 three Airbus A320
aircraft were based at the airport serving nine Aer Lingus routes from Belfast, and the airline has restored the link between Belfast International and London Heathrow Airport which was abandoned by British Airways.
Flyglobespan
previously operated summer seasonal services to Orlando Sanford International Airport
and John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. These routes ceased following the carrier's demise in December 2009.
Despite these additional flights, passengers at Belfast International did not rise beyond 6 million in 2008 as some had predicted but in fact fell by 10,000 passengers to 5.2 million.
Work has been completed within the airport to move the 'Central Search' area from its previous location, this is part of a bigger plan to increase the area for the main departure Lounge.
In addition, as of June 2010 the airport's new drop off zone has been completed and implemented at the front of the complex.
The airport has one jetway located on the international pier that allows speedy boarding. It is used on the Newark Service as well as other charter and high density services to mainland Europe and some transcontinental services. The single terminal is large and accommodates most aircraft. The terminal serves all destinations.
In January 2011, Bmibaby
moved to George Best Belfast City Airport
in order to keep its operation under one roof with sister company BMI
. A few months later, easyJet announced that their London-Luton route would return to Belfast International and a route to Manchester would commence on 31 October 2011. In July 2011 easyJet announced their fourth London destination to London Southend.
operation. Fedex Feeder announced its base on the 8th November 2011, basing one ATR. The major cargo operators are:
by passenger traffic in 2010, but the large freight volumes handled made it the 6th busiest freight airport in the UK during the period.
.
operates a 24 hour bus
service to the airport from their Europa Buscentre, in the centre of Belfast
. The airport can be reached from Derry
and the northwest by the Airporter
.
is the Antrim railway station
which is 10 km (6.2 mi) from the airport in Antrim
, and is serviced by a bus link called the Antrim Airlink (109 A). There are connections to Belfast, Lisburn
and Derry. Trains to and from Dublin are via Belfast Central railway station
, which has its own Airbus stop. A new station serving the airport could one day be constructed on the mothballed Lisburn-Antrim railway line
as set out in the airport master plan. This line remains in serviceable condition and passes close to the airport terminal.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located 11.5 NM northwest of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
base RAF Aldergrove
RAF Aldergrove
RAF Aldergrove was a Royal Air Force station situated northwest of Belfast. It adjoined Belfast International Airport, sometimes referred to simply as Aldergrove which is the name of the surrounding area...
, which otherwise has its own facilities. The airport's runway 07/25, at 9,121 ft (2,780 m) makes it one of the longest runways in the :United Kingdom, and the 2nd longest on the island of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, surpassing Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
's runway 10/28 by 469 ft (143 m)but shorter than Shannon's main runway (3199m)
Around 4 million passengers travelled through the airport in 2010, an 11.7% decline since 2009. Belfast International is the busiest airport in Northern Ireland and the second busiest airport on the island of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in terms of passenger numbers after Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
, and is followed by Belfast-City
George Best Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
, Cork and Shannon
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
.
The airport is owned by Abertis
Abertis
Abertis Infraestructuras, S.A. is a Spanish corporation. The company runs 6,713 kilometres of motorways in Europe and operates more than a dozen airports in cities including London, Stockholm and Orlando...
, the same company which owns Stockholm Skavsta and Cardiff Airport and is concessionary to Orlando Sanford International Airport
Orlando Sanford International Airport
Orlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance...
and London Luton.
Belfast International has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P798) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. The airport has taken advantage of the vast amount of land available and its rather distant location compared to Belfast-City
George Best Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
means that the airport operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is not subject to noise abatement
Noise mitigation
Noise mitigation is a set of strategies to reduce noise pollution. The main areas of noise mitigation or abatement are: transportation noise control, architectural design, and occupational noise control...
procedures, significant environmental constraints or airspace
Airspace
Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....
limitations.
History
The airport lies within the parishCivil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Killead, between the small villages of Killead (to the east) and Aldergrove (to the west).
1917-1945
The site for the airport was established in 1917 when it was selected to be a Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
training establishment during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The airport remained open at the end of the war for RAF activity.
Civil traffic began in 1922 when flights were conducted flying newspapers from Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, although it was not until 1933 that a regular, sustained civil air service started. The flight was to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and was operated by Midland and Scottish Air Ferries. This was subsequently augmented by flights to the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Croydon
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
, then London’s airport.
During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Aldergrove remained an RAF base particularly for the Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
. 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.
1946-1970
One of the outcomes of the wartime airfield construction programme was the building of Nutts Corner AirportRAF Nutts Corner
RAF Nutts Corner was a Royal Air Force station in County Antrim near Belfast. It was originally a civil airfield, then it became a military airfield and subsequently Northern Ireland's main civil airport until the 1960s.-Civil operations:...
, just 3 mi (4.8 km) from Aldergrove. On 1 December 1946, the new site replaced Belfast Harbour Airport (now George Best Belfast City Airport) as Northern Ireland’s civil airport, as the site at Sydenham was considered unsuitable.
By the 1950s civil air traffic had outstripped the facilities at Nutts Corner and, in addition, 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 new terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
and apron
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
were built with the necessary passenger facilities and the complex was opened by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
on 28 October 1963. In 1966 the first regular jet service to London-Gatwick
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
started and in 1968 Aer Lingus and BOAC
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
introduced scheduled services to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
via Shannon
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
and Glasgow-Prestwick respectively.
1971-1997
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, taxiwayTaxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
s 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 smaller general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
aircraft from large commercial jets
Commercial aviation
Commercial aviation is the part of civil aviation that involves operating aircraft for hire to transport passengers or cargo...
. In the meantime, British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
launched the first Belfast to Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
shuttle service, and the first Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
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 (now KLM Cityhopper
KLM Cityhopper
KLM Cityhopper is the regional subsidiary of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines . The airline, with its head office, the Convair Building, on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Schiphol-Oost, Haarlemmermeer, operates short haul services in and around Europe...
) flying to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
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 and BMI
Bmi (airline)
British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa...
went into competition with British Airways on the Heathrow service. Further developments to the terminal occurred throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. A new Executive Aviation Terminal was opened in 1987 and the new cargo centre opened in 1991.
The airport was privatised in 1994. TBI became the new owners of the airport on 13 August 1996, by which time annual passenger numbers had reached 2.5 million.
1998 to date
In 2005 Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
launched the first ever direct scheduled service to Newark, and direct scheduled services were later introduced to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
with Zoom Airlines
Zoom Airlines
Zoom Airlines Inc. was a Canadian low-fare scheduled transatlantic airline with its headquarters in the Place Bell Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario...
but have now ceased following the carrier's demise in August 2008.
In December 2007 Aer Lingus opened a base at Belfast International, its third hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
(and first outside the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
). By March 2008 three Airbus A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft were based at the airport serving nine Aer Lingus routes from Belfast, and the airline has restored the link between Belfast International and London Heathrow Airport which was abandoned by British Airways.
Flyglobespan
Flyglobespan
Flyglobespan was a British low-cost airline based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It formerly operated scheduled services from 5 airports across the UK and Ireland to destinations in Europe, North America, North Africa and South Africa. Its main bases were Glasgow International Airport, Edinburgh Airport...
previously operated summer seasonal services to Orlando Sanford International Airport
Orlando Sanford International Airport
Orlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance...
and John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. These routes ceased following the carrier's demise in December 2009.
Despite these additional flights, passengers at Belfast International did not rise beyond 6 million in 2008 as some had predicted but in fact fell by 10,000 passengers to 5.2 million.
Work has been completed within the airport to move the 'Central Search' area from its previous location, this is part of a bigger plan to increase the area for the main departure Lounge.
In addition, as of June 2010 the airport's new drop off zone has been completed and implemented at the front of the complex.
The airport has one jetway located on the international pier that allows speedy boarding. It is used on the Newark Service as well as other charter and high density services to mainland Europe and some transcontinental services. The single terminal is large and accommodates most aircraft. The terminal serves all destinations.
In January 2011, Bmibaby
Bmibaby
Bmibaby Limited is a small British low-cost airline and a subsidiary of British Midland International. It flies to destinations in the UK and Europe from its bases at Belfast-City, Birmingham and East Midlands airports....
moved to George Best Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport
George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
in order to keep its operation under one roof with sister company BMI
Bmi (airline)
British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa...
. A few months later, easyJet announced that their London-Luton route would return to Belfast International and a route to Manchester would commence on 31 October 2011. In July 2011 easyJet announced their fourth London destination to London Southend.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Belfast International Airport is one of the most important regional airfreight centres in the UK, handling 48000 tonnes (47,241.8 LT) of air cargo in 2008. BIA plays host to a long-established nightly Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
operation. Fedex Feeder announced its base on the 8th November 2011, basing one ATR. The major cargo operators are:
Statistics
Nearly 5.3 million passengers used Belfast International in 2007, the highest total in the airport's history, with total passenger numbers remaining relatively static during 2008 but declining sharply in 2009 to 4.5 million and again in 2010 to 4 million. The airport is the busiest in Northern Ireland, having experienced steady growth in passenger numbers, aircraft movements and freight throughput over most of the last decade. Between 1997 and 2010 passenger numbers have increased by an average of 4.8% annually. Belfast International was the 13th busiest airport in the UKBusiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic
The tables below contain CAA data from 2006 to 2009, on the busiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic, including information on international, domestic and transit counterparts...
by passenger traffic in 2010, but the large freight volumes handled made it the 6th busiest freight airport in the UK during the period.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Airport | Passengers 2009 |
Passengers 2008 |
% Change 2008 / 09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Spain - MálagaMálaga Airport Málaga Airport , also known as Malaga Costa Del Sol Airport and Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the fourth busiest airport in Spain after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. It is an important airport for Spanish tourism as it is the main international airport serving the Costa Del Sol.... |
166,017 | 187,529 | 11 |
| 2 |  France - Paris Charles de Gaulle |
144,345 | 128,537 | 12 |
| 3 |  Portugal - FaroFaro Airport -Incidents and accidents:*On 21 December 1992, Martinair Flight 495 skidded off the runway in bad weather at Faro Airport killing 54 passengers and two crew out of a total of 340 people on board.... |
125,419 | 128,091 | 2 |
| 4 | Spain - Palma de Mallorca Palma de Mallorca Airport Palma de Mallorca Airport is an airport located east of Palma, Majorca, adjacent to the village of Can Pastilla. Also known as Son Sant Joan Airport or Aeroport de Son Sant Joan, it is the third largest airport in Spain, after Madrid's Barajas Airport and Barcelona Airport... |
124,539 | 150,828 | 17 |
| 5 |  United States - NewarkNewark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States... |
99,794 | 99,714 | 0 |
| 6 | Spain - Barcelona |
95,665 | 122,121 | 21 |
| 7 |  Netherlands - Amsterdam |
91,031 | 138,669 | 34 |
| 8 | Spain - Alicante Alicante Airport Alicante Airport , , originally named El Altet, is the sixth busiest airport in Spain, and the main airport for the Province of Alicante and the Region of Murcia. The airport is situated southwest of Alicante and east of Elche in the municipality of Elche on Mediterranean coast. Up to eighty... |
86,864 | 97,098 | 10 |
| 9 | Spain - Lanzarote |
84,993 | 66,545 | 27 |
| 10 | Spain - Tenerife South Tenerife South Airport Tenerife South Airport , previously known as Tenerife South-Reina Sofia Airport, is one of two international airports located on the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands . Between its opening and the end of 2006, a total of 173,912,207 passengers passed through the airport... |
57,196 | 93,725 | 38 |
| 11 |  Turkey - DalamanDalaman Airport - Traffic Statistics :Source: DHMI.gov.tr... |
47,911 | 45,545 | 5 |
| 12 |  Italy - Rome Fiumicino |
42,857 | 36,545 | 17 |
| 13 |  Poland - Krakow |
41,085 | 50,783 | 19 |
| 14 | France - Nice |
40,108 | 54,783 | 26 |
| 15 | Spain - Murcia |
35,980 | 44,132 | 18 |
| 16 |  Germany - Munich |
31,419 | 4,687 | 570 |
| 17 | Turkey - Bodrum |
28,938 | 36,786 | 21 |
| 18 | Spain - Reus Reus Airport -Incidents and accidents:* On 20 July 1970, a Condor Boeing 737-100 which was approaching Reus Airport, collided with a privately owned Piper Cherokee light aircraft near Tarragona, Spain. The Piper subsequently crashed, resulting in the death of the three persons on board... |
25,228 | 39,649 | 32 |
| 19 | Spain - Ibiza Ibiza Airport Ibiza Airport is the airport serving the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Formentera in Spain, used by 95% of all people who arrive at or depart from these two islands... |
24,049 | 27,720 | 13 |
| 20 | United States - Orlando Sanford |
23,875 | 27,276 | 12 |
| Rank | Airport | Passengers 2009 |
Passengers 2008 |
% Change 2008 / 09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool Liverpool John Lennon Airport Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport serving the city of Liverpool and the North West of England. Formerly known as Speke Airport, RAF Speke, and Liverpool Airport the airport is located within the City of Liverpool adjacent to the estuary of the River Mersey some southeast... |
397,052 | 394,569 | 1 |
| 2 | London Gatwick London Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport... |
309,976 | 347,377 | 10 |
| 3 | London Stansted London Stansted Airport -Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures... |
293,077 | 313,111 | 6 |
| 4 | London Heathrow London Heathrow Airport London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe... |
266,819 | 258,033 | 3 |
| 5 | London Luton London Luton Airport London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway... |
246,905 | 263,238 | 6 |
| 6 | Edinburgh Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements... |
232,121 | 236,927 | 2 |
| 7 | Glasgow International Glasgow International Airport Glasgow International Airport is an international airport in Scotland, located west of Glasgow city centre, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew in Renfrewshire... |
223,844 | 219,623 | 2 |
| 8 | Newcastle | 192,673 | 205,180 | 6 |
| 9 | Bristol Bristol Airport Bristol Airport may refer to:* Bristol Airport, serving Bristol, England, United Kingdom ** Bristol Airport , a docu-soap based on events at Bristol Airport... |
163,459 | 211,923 | 22 |
| 10 | Birmingham | 130,139 | 155,920 | 16 |
Road
Travellers by car from Belfast reach the airport via the M2 motorwayM2 motorway (Northern Ireland)
The M2 is a motorway in Belfast and County Antrim in Northern Ireland. It is in two sections, the southern section running from north Belfast to Antrim and the northern section acts as a bypass of Ballymena, with the A26 road linking the two sections. In total it is 22 miles...
.
Bus
TranslinkTranslink (Northern Ireland)
Translink is the brand name of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company , a public corporation in Northern Ireland which provides the public transport in the region. NI Railways, Ulsterbus and Metro are all part of Translink....
operates a 24 hour bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service to the airport from their Europa Buscentre, in the centre of Belfast
Belfast City Centre
Belfast city centre is the central business district of Belfast, Northern Ireland.The city centre was originally centred around the Donegall Street area. Donegall Street is now mainly a business area, but with expanding residential and entertainment development as part of the Cathedral Quarter...
. The airport can be reached from Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
and the northwest by the Airporter
The Airporter
The Airporter is a bus company based in Derry, Northern Ireland which provides a shuttle service between Derry and Belfast International and Belfast City Airports.. During July 2009, the first ever free wifi initiative was set up across the Airporter fleet, this service is provided by the Irish...
.
Train
The nearest railway stationTrain station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
is the Antrim railway station
Antrim railway station
Antrim railway station serves Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.Antrim station was opened on 11 April 1848, and was closed for goods traffic on 4 January 1965...
which is 10 km (6.2 mi) from the airport in Antrim
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
, and is serviced by a bus link called the Antrim Airlink (109 A). There are connections to Belfast, Lisburn
Lisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
and Derry. Trains to and from Dublin are via Belfast Central railway station
Belfast Central railway station
Belfast Central is a railway station serving the city of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is one of the four stations located in Belfast City Centre, the others being Great Victoria Street, City Hospital and Botanic....
, which has its own Airbus stop. A new station serving the airport could one day be constructed on the mothballed Lisburn-Antrim railway line
Lisburn-Antrim railway line
The Lisburn–Antrim railway line is a line of Northern Ireland Railways. It links Knockmore Junction on the Belfast–Newry railway line with on the Belfast–Derry railway line.-History:The line opened in 1871 as the Dublin and Antrim Junction Railway...
as set out in the airport master plan. This line remains in serviceable condition and passes close to the airport terminal.
Future plans
In September 2006, Belfast International Airport published their master plan for the next 25 years. The master plan predicts that passenger numbers will increase to between 6 million passengers per annum (mppa) and 7.5 mppa by 2015 and to 12 mppa by 2030. Cargo throughout at BIA could reach as high as 82000 t (80,704.7 LT) by 2015, and 148000 t (145,662.1 LT) by 2030. To accommodate this growth a number upgrades have been suggested, some of these are listed below.2006-2015
- Extension of check-in hall
- Extension and reconfiguration of domestic baggage reclaim
- Construction of a new South Pier including departure lounges
- Extension of West Pier
- Construction of multi-storey car parkMulti-storey car parkA multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
and high level link to terminal - Expansion of cargo/freight handling facilities located on western boundaries
2015-2030
- New three storeyStoreyA storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
central core linking to existing and recently developed areas. - A passenger rail connection to the airport
- Enhanced highway links between airport and M2 motorway and improved public transport direct to all parts of Northern Ireland.
- Demolition of the old terminal (replacement in operation)
Accidents and incidents
- On 24 March 1996, Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
G-OPFE of British World Airways was damaged beyond economic repair when it made a wheels-up landing.
- On 23 December 1997, a Maersk AirMaersk AirMaersk Air was a Danish low-fare airline, based in Dragør, Dragør Municipality; Maersk was part of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group. It operated from 1969 to 2005, when it was bought by Icelandic investment group Fons Eignarhaldsfélag and subsequently merged with their other Danish acquisition the same...
, Boeing 737Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft operated by British AirwaysBritish AirwaysBritish Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
and with 63 passengers and 6 crew on board was forced to return to the airport after a major failure in the starboard engine. The pilot was forced to declare an emergency and the aircraft thereafter returned to the airport safely on one engine. It was later found that an engine seal had failed causing the catastrophic failure of the starboard engine and slight damage to the engine cowling and under wing surface. The subsequent investigation uncovered design and manufacturing defects with the seals and led to the incorporation of new design seals in all future engines.
- On 31 October 2010, a bomb was found inside a Toyota CarinaToyota CarinaReleased in Japan August 1977, the next-generation Carina was available in Germany in December 1977 and in other European countries during 1978. In most markets it was fitted with the same 1,588 cc 2T engine as its predecessor. In the Carina, an output of was claimed...
parked in the long-stay car park. Army bomb experts dismantled the bomb, however it is believed it failed to explode due to a possibility it had been in the car park since 2009, it was only discovered when workers were getting ready to tow the vehicle out of the car park. Many passengers had to spend the night in hotels or arrange alternative transport home as they were unable to get to their cars