Airport Guide
Belfast International Airport
The busiest airport in the province of Ulster and the second-busiest in the while of Ireland (behind Dublin) Belfast International is unique in that it shares its runways with the neighbouring RAF base at Aldergrove. In addition to the usual budget airlines, a number of larger operators also use the hub, providing regular links from Northern Ireland direct access to a host of European and North America destinations. Belfast International is not to be confused with the other airport serving the city, the George Best Belfast City Airport.
Belfast Airport's history goes back further than most, with the Royal Flying Corps (the RAF's predecessors) using it as a training base in 1917 for operations in the First World War. There were even flights operating to Chester, London, Liverpool and Glasgow in the 1920s and 1930s before it was again called into combat service, serving as a Coastal Command base during the 1939-45 conflict.
Civilian air traffic returned once peace had been established and was given a boost with the opening of a new terminal and apron in 1963, with the first regular jet service to Gatwick and then New York began in 1966 and 1968 respectively.
The 1970s and 1980s saw further expansion, with the airport renamed Belfast International in 1983 and 1.5 million passengers passing through annually after 1985.
Sine easyJet introduced low-cost flights to Belfast in 1998, the airport has experienced a significant boom. Transatlantic services were re-established at the turn of the millennium and the additional flights are expected to bring passenger volumes for 2008 up to six million.
Belfast International is located around 13 miles north-west of Belfast city centre and can be easily reached either by car or by public transport.
The airport has excellent road links from the nearby M2, which in turn links to most parts of Northern Ireland, while Translink operates a 24-hour bus service from the city centre in addition to regular bus services from the rest of the country.
Arriving by train, passengers will be best off travelling to the nearby Antrim railway station, just six miles away, from where there are regular links to the airport. Trains connect Belfast International to a host of destinations, including Lisburn and Derry.
A host of airlines operate both scheduled and charter flights to dozens of domestic and international destinations.
The Republic of Ireland's national carrier Aer Lingus has a base at Belfast, flying to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Faro, Geneva, London, Malaga, Nice, Paris and Rome.
The biggest presence on the tarmac, however, is that of easyJet, which offers its no-frills service to a dozen European cities, including Bristol, Palma de Mallorca, Berlin, Prague and Venice.
Other low-cost operators flying out of Belfast include Jet2.com, Wizz Air, Flybe and bmibaby.
Specialist carriers include Air Malta, Arkia which flies only to Tel Aviv, Dubrovnik Airline and Hemus Air to Polvdiv.
As well as Continental Airlines, which flies to New York's Newark airport, Air Transat, Monarch Airlines and Zoom Airlines all offer transatlantic services, flying to Toronto, Orlando and Toronto-Pearson and Vancouver respectively.
History of Belfast International Airport
Belfast Airport's history goes back further than most, with the Royal Flying Corps (the RAF's predecessors) using it as a training base in 1917 for operations in the First World War. There were even flights operating to Chester, London, Liverpool and Glasgow in the 1920s and 1930s before it was again called into combat service, serving as a Coastal Command base during the 1939-45 conflict.
Civilian air traffic returned once peace had been established and was given a boost with the opening of a new terminal and apron in 1963, with the first regular jet service to Gatwick and then New York began in 1966 and 1968 respectively.
The 1970s and 1980s saw further expansion, with the airport renamed Belfast International in 1983 and 1.5 million passengers passing through annually after 1985.
Sine easyJet introduced low-cost flights to Belfast in 1998, the airport has experienced a significant boom. Transatlantic services were re-established at the turn of the millennium and the additional flights are expected to bring passenger volumes for 2008 up to six million.
Travelling to Belfast International Airport
Belfast International is located around 13 miles north-west of Belfast city centre and can be easily reached either by car or by public transport.
The airport has excellent road links from the nearby M2, which in turn links to most parts of Northern Ireland, while Translink operates a 24-hour bus service from the city centre in addition to regular bus services from the rest of the country.
Arriving by train, passengers will be best off travelling to the nearby Antrim railway station, just six miles away, from where there are regular links to the airport. Trains connect Belfast International to a host of destinations, including Lisburn and Derry.
Airlines Flying From Belfast International Airport
A host of airlines operate both scheduled and charter flights to dozens of domestic and international destinations.
The Republic of Ireland's national carrier Aer Lingus has a base at Belfast, flying to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Faro, Geneva, London, Malaga, Nice, Paris and Rome.
The biggest presence on the tarmac, however, is that of easyJet, which offers its no-frills service to a dozen European cities, including Bristol, Palma de Mallorca, Berlin, Prague and Venice.
Other low-cost operators flying out of Belfast include Jet2.com, Wizz Air, Flybe and bmibaby.
Specialist carriers include Air Malta, Arkia which flies only to Tel Aviv, Dubrovnik Airline and Hemus Air to Polvdiv.
As well as Continental Airlines, which flies to New York's Newark airport, Air Transat, Monarch Airlines and Zoom Airlines all offer transatlantic services, flying to Toronto, Orlando and Toronto-Pearson and Vancouver respectively.