Belfast International Airport (BFS)

Introduction

Belfast International Airport is the principal airport for Northern Ireland. Over 4.8 million passengers are handled by Belfast International Airport every year. Located 13 miles (21 kilometres) northwest of Belfast and next to the village of Aldergrove, Belfast International Airport was also known as Belfast Aldergrove Airport.

Facilities and Services

Belfast International Airport can offer its passengers flights to 41 scheduled destinations, 15 domestic routes and 26 European and transatlantic ones. Scheduled transatlantic destinations to North America include New York and Orlando in the USA; and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada.
Belfast International Airport's recently completed terminal development programme now provides passengers with an enlarged and improved departure lounge containing a fair range of retail and catering outlets. Belfast International Airport also has currency exchange facilities, car hire representatives and information desks to meet arriving passengers needs.
Belfast International Airport has an exclusive Business Lounge. Open to both business and leisure passengers, for a small fee passengers can enjoy business facilities such as fax; photocopying and Internet access. Passengers can also take advantage of complimentary drinks and snacks in a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. Passengers flying with easyjet; bmibaby; and Jet2.com are eligible to receive a discounted entry fee to the lounge.

Getting To The Airport

By road - FROM BELFAST: take the M2 northbound, turn off at Junction 5 and take the A57 for seven miles. FROM SOUTH & WEST: take the M1 motorway northbound, turn off at the Moira Junction and proceed via the A26 and Nutts Corner to airport.
By rail - Train services to and from Belfast, Lisburn and Londonderry operate from nearby Antrim, just six miles from the airport. Passengers travelling to Dublin can connect with a high speed Enterprise train, which departs from Belfast central station.
By bus/coach - The Antrim Airlink operates Monday to Friday and leaves from the front of the airport terminal for Antrim bus and rail station. There is also an Airbus service, which operates between the airport and Belfast city centre, and travellers to the airport should board at Europa Bus Centre. In addition AIRporter operates a direct coach service to Derry/Londonderry every two hours.

Parking at the Airport

The Short Stay car park is located close to the terminal building and is perfect for brief stops and pick ups.
The Main Stay car park is recommended for parking up to three days and provides convenient parking for short business trips or long weekends away.
The Long Stay car park is ideal for holiday and business travellers flying from Belfast International Airport. The car park is well lit and has a high standard of security measures in place. It is within walking distance of the terminal building.

History of Belfast International Airport

In May 1933 civil air services commenced with a Glasgow to Aldergrove service operated by Midland and Scottish Air Ferries.

During 1934 the first London to Belfast route was launched but it did not use Aldergrove, it used another airfield at Nutts Corner. However by the end of the year Aldergrove was considered to be Northern Ireland’s civil airport. During the Second World War Aldergrove was used as a base by the RAF. After the end of the war, civil flights were moved back to Aldergrove. In October 1963 HRH Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother reopened Aldergrove as a civil airport and inaugurated the present terminal building.

By 1969 the airport was processing around a million passengers each year. In 1970 a £3 million expansion plan for the airport was announced including the extension of the main runway. British Airways launched the first Belfast - Heathrow shuttle service on 1st April 1977 and later that year, on 3rd July the first jumbo jet operated out of Aldergrove on a charter service to Toronto via Shannon.

In 1983 the airport was renamed Belfast International. A year later the annual passenger numbers were reported at around 1.5 million. The new Executive Aviation Terminal was opened in 1987 in order to improve facilities and by the end of that year the total of people passing through the airport reached 2 million. By 2004 the number of passengers was 4.5 million and Belfast International Airport continues to experience steady growth.