Belfast International Airport
With 5.5 million passengers passing through its doors in 2007
Belfast International Airport has seen steady growth over the
last few years.
Belfast International Airport
In 2004 Amsterdam was the only
scheduled international service
available from the airport. In order
to get anywhere local travellers
had to make the trek to Dublin or
transfer through London Heathrow.
This is not the case now with
passengers being able to choose
from over 100 destinations
(scheduled and chartered) direct
from their local airport.
A sign of how far Belfast
International Airport has come was
the announcement in August 2007
that the airport was to become the
new European base for Aer Lingus,
beating off competition from many
other cities across Europe. The
move by Aer Lingus has significant
ramifications not only for the airport
but also for Northern Ireland
as a whole and is a significant
endorsement of the political
changes that have taken place in
Northern Ireland, as well as a
signal to other international
companies to follow suit.
The airline has initially based
three Airbus aircraft, flying to ten
destinations, the most significant of
which is London Heathrow. Belfast
International has not had a London
Heathrow service since 2001; the
reinstatement of this service is good
news for business travellers who
have previously had to pay high
prices and for those passengers
wanting to travel long haul. The
Aer Lingus Heathrow service will
codeshare with British Airways,
linking into their massive network,
effectively meaning you can check
in at Belfast and fly to anywhere in
the BA network. The other significant
route is Amsterdam, allowing
passengers to link into the massive
KLM network at Schipol.
Aer Lingus are not the only airline
to see the potential in Northern
Ireland. EasyJet has been in the
Northern Ireland market for nine
years and has based a sixth aircraft
at the airport, adding to the number
of scheduled destinations that
are now accessible from Belfast
International. This news will also
make Belfast a much more attractive
investment location; 32 European
and transatlantic destinations
can be reached from Belfast
International Airport and incoming
companies will now have easy, direct
access to a wide range of markets.
At the airport, Business travellers
can benefit from the well-equipped
Business Lounge in association
with the Bank of Ireland. Facilities
include fax, photocopying and
internet access points. Refreshments
are also available in the lounge
ranging from freshly brewed coffee
or a choice of complimentary
alcoholic refreshments. Customers
can also enjoy a range of snacks
specially chosen from the Cafˇ
Paul Rankin menu. ³
Over 100 domestic,
European and
transatlantic
destinations can
be reached from
Belfast International
Airport.
Connections:
By Rail: Services to/from Belfast,
Lisburn and Londonderry operate
from the nearby town of Antrim,
just six miles from Belfast
International Airport. Passengers
travelling to Dublin can connect
with the high speed Enterprise
train, which departs from Belfast
Central Station.
By Bus: Airport Express 300
now operates a 24 hour service
between the airport and Belfast
with buses departing every 10
minutes throughout the day.
Single Ticket £6, return ticket £9,
Smartlink 10 journey ticket £40.
Frequency: Every ten minutes at
peak times Mon Š Fri, (reduced
frequency Sat & Sun). The
Ulsterbus (109A) service operates
hourly from 6am - 6pm, Monday
to Saturday between Lisburn Rail
Station, Belfast International
Airport and Antrim Bus Station.
By Coach: The Airporter connects
Londonderry in the north west with
Belfast International Airport. The
service runs 12 times daily.
By Taxi: The International Airport
Taxi Company, the official taxi
operator for the airport, are
available for hire outside the right
hand door of the airport Exit Lobby.
Only taxis approved by BIA are
permitted to use the taxi rank. A list
of sample fares is displayed in the
exit hall of the terminal building.
The fare to Belfast City Centre is
approximately £25.00. A taxi share
scheme to Belfast is available for
those who wish to use it.
³ Belfast International Airport continued...
Image courtesy of GOTOBELFAST.COM
Car Hire: Car hire is advisable for
visitors who wish to travel around
Northern Ireland, and there are
five car-hire desks located in the
arrivals hall, all of which are open
for all inbound flights. Belfast city
centre is just 20 minutes away by
car, whilst the historical city of
Londonderry in the North West is
approx 1hr 25 minutes away by car.
www.belfastairport.com/en
Tel. 028 9448 4848