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George Best Belfast City Airport, also known as Belfast City Airport, is an international airport in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The IATA airport code BHD refers to Belfast Harbour and its location in County Down. The airport is located in the heart of Belfast City, just 8 km from all the popular attractions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | George Best Belfast City Airport |
| IATA | BHD |
| ICAO | EGAC |
| Location | Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Distance from Belfast City Centre | 3 miles (5 km) |
| Distance from Belfast Harbour | Adjacent |
| Year commercial operations began | 1983 |
| Previous names | Belfast Harbour Airport, Belfast City Airport |
| Year renamed to current name | 2006 |
| Reason for renaming | In memory of George Best, a professional footballer from Belfast |
| Number of runways | 1 |
| Number of airlines operating | 6 |
| Number of destinations | 28-30 across the UK and Europe |
| Number of gates | 5 |
| Annual passenger capacity | 2 million |
| Annual passengers | 1-1.5 million |
| Peak annual passengers | 2.7 million (in 2010) |
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What You'll Learn
George Best Belfast City Airport's IATA code
The IATA code for George Best Belfast City Airport is BHD. The airport is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and is named after George Best, a professional footballer from Belfast, best known for his time with Manchester United. The airport began commercial operations in 1983 and was known as "Belfast City Airport" until it was renamed in 2006.
The IATA code BHD refers to Belfast Harbour and the airport's location in County Down. The airport is situated adjacent to the Belfast Harbour and is just three miles (five kilometres) from Belfast City Centre. It is a single-runway airport and shares its site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility.
George Best Belfast City Airport is a regional base for Aer Lingus and British Airways, the largest operators at the airport. Other airlines that operate regular flights to and from the airport include Ryanair, easyJet, Lufthansa, and KLM. The airport has a CAA public use aerodrome licence (number P862) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
The airport has one passenger terminal, which operates with six different airlines serving 28 destinations across Europe and the UK. The terminal has five gates and offers modern amenities such as spacious bathrooms, baby changing facilities, unlimited free Wi-Fi, and complimentary water refill stations. The airport also features cafes, restaurants, an Aspire Lounge, shops, and duty-free shopping.
George Best Belfast City Airport is easily accessible, located just an 8-kilometre drive from popular attractions in Belfast. For added convenience, passengers can sign up for flight notifications on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, or WhatsApp.
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History of the airport
The George Best Belfast City Airport (IATA: BHD, ICAO: EGAC) is an international airport in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The airport is located in County Antrim, County Down, and is adjacent to the Belfast Harbour and Belfast City Centre.
The airfield on which the airport stands was established in 1937 as Sydenham Airport by Shorts beside its Belfast factory at Sydenham. It was opened on 16 March 1938 by Anne Chamberlain, the wife of then-British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain. The inaugural flight from the airport was to Glasgow, Scotland. From 1938 to 1939, Sydenham Airport served as Belfast's main civilian airport. In 1941, the airfield was requisitioned by the RAF and became RAF Belfast. In 1943, it was transferred to the Royal Navy and renamed HMS Gadwall, also known as RNAS Belfast or RNAS Sydenham. During this time, RAF Nutts Corner became the main airport for Belfast, while Aldergrove later became the primary airport in Northern Ireland.
In 1952, the runway at the airfield was extended to its current length of 6,000 feet (1,800 m). The site continued to be used for military purposes until the 1970s, reverting to RAF Belfast in 1973 before closing down in 1978. In the early 1980s, the airfield was relaunched as Belfast Harbour Airport and began its first commercial passenger flights. The airport commenced commercial operations in 1983, and in 1988, Jersey European began operations at the airport.
In 2001, a new terminal was opened, and in 2003, the airport was sold to the Spanish company Ferrovial, the owner of BAA Airports. In 2006, the airport was officially renamed George Best Belfast City Airport in memory of the Northern Irish football legend, George Best, who was born in Belfast in 1946. In 2008, Ferrovial resold the airport to ABN Amro Global Infrastructure Fund. As of 2024, the airport handles over 2.3 million passengers, with a peak of 2.7 million in 2010.
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Airlines operating from the airport
BHD Airport, officially known as George Best Belfast City Airport, is an international airport in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As of February 2024, 6 airlines operate flights across the UK and Europe from the airport.
Belfast City Airport serves as a regional base for Aer Lingus and British Airways, which are the largest operators there. Ground handling is provided by Swissport and Menzies Aviation, with the latter also offering cargo handling services.
In October 2007, Ryanair established its 23rd base at the airport, but closed its operations in 2010 due to delays in the planned runway extension. However, Ryanair resumed flying from the airport in June 2021, before withdrawing from Northern Ireland altogether in September 2021.
In March 2022, Emerald Airlines, the new operator of Aer Lingus Regional flights, announced that they would be opening a base at the airport. On the same month, Flybe also announced that the airport would become their second operating base following their relaunch, but the base was closed in January 2023 when Flybe went into administration.
Other airlines that have operated from the airport include easyJet, Manx2, Bmibaby, and BMI. Scottish airline Loganair commenced operations in 2019, followed by Eastern Airways in 2020.
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Passenger facilities
George Best Belfast City Airport (IATA: BHD) is a small, two-level terminal with various passenger facilities. The airport is located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and is about 3 miles (5 km) from Belfast City Centre. The airport handled over 2.3 million passengers in 2024, with a record of over 2.7 million passengers in 2010.
The airport has a well-equipped terminal building, with the Check-in area, Arrivals, and Departures all located on the ground floor. The Information Desk is situated in the centre of the main atrium, along with a bureau de change, a money changer, and ATM machines. The staff at the Information Desk are knowledgeable and ready to assist passengers with any airport and Belfast-related queries. The airport also has good facilities for those with disabilities, including induction loops at the check-in and information desks, and specially adapted telephones and toilets located throughout the terminal.
For dining, passengers can enjoy a bite to eat at Samson's Kitchen & Bar, The Artisan, Starbucks, Caffe Nero, and more. There are also 24-hour food options available. For shopping, the airport has a gift shop, a convenience store, a book store, and a Departures Lounge where passengers can shop for deals on their favourite brands.
Passengers can also take advantage of the airport's unlimited free WiFi for up to two hours. After two hours, passengers can start a new session by logging in again. The airport also has mobile charging points and lockers.
Additionally, the airport has business facilities, including large business lounges and a well-equipped Conference Suite with meeting rooms, a photocopier, a fax machine, and secretarial services. For additional comfort, economy-class passengers can pay to use one of the airport's private lounges.
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Location and transport links
George Best Belfast City Airport (IATA: BHD, ICAO: EGAC) is located in the heart of Belfast, Northern Ireland, just 8 km from all the most popular attractions. The airport is situated in County Antrim, adjacent to the Belfast Harbour and about three miles (five kilometres) from Belfast City Centre. It is located on the A2, Sydenham bypass road between Belfast and Holywood. Sydenham railway station is adjacent to the southern perimeter of the airport, across the A2 from the old passenger terminal. Trains from this station go to Bangor and Portadown, with some services calling at Belfast Lanyon Place and Belfast Grand Central stations. A courtesy bus is available to take passengers to or from the new passenger terminal further northeast.
Belfast City Airport is the smaller of the two airports in Belfast, serving only flights to the UK and Europe. It is a single-runway airport that shares its site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier (formerly Spirit AeroSystems) aircraft manufacturing facility. The airport has one passenger terminal, which operates with six different airlines, including British Airways, Lufthansa, and KLM, and serves 28 destinations across the UK and Europe. In 2024, the airport handled over 2.3 million passengers, with a peak of 2.7 million in 2010.
The airport began commercial operations in 1983 as Belfast Harbour Airport, which was subsequently changed to Belfast City Airport before gaining its current name in 2006. The airport is open from 4:00 or 4:30 am to 10:00 pm, depending on the season, and is closed on Christmas Day. It is recommended that passengers arrive at least two hours before their flight's departure time.
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Frequently asked questions
BHD stands for Belfast Harbour, referring to its location in County Down, Northern Ireland.
The full name of the airport is George Best Belfast City Airport.
The airport began commercial operations in 1983.
Belfast City Airport offers modern amenities such as spacious bathrooms, baby changing facilities, free WiFi, cafes, restaurants, lounges, shops, and duty-free shopping.
