While Meghan Trainor declared life being “All about the bass”, at Belfast City Airport the team believe it’s all about the pace.
“According to The Telegraph, we’re the UK and Ireland’s ‘Most Convenient Airport’,” reports Ellie McGimpsey, Belfast City’s aviation development manager. “Our location, minutes from global business, hotels with style, tourist attractions and historical landmarks, makes us perfect for the inbound passenger wanting to make the most of a trip to Northern Ireland.”
If that ability to get downtown quickly isn’t enough, McGimpsey points out that recent studies by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) placed Belfast City as the UK’s ‘Most Punctual Airport’ – excellent news for passengers wanting a hassle-free travel experience.
“We are committed to delivering an enjoyable, stress-free journey that exceeds the expectation of our passengers; recent infrastructural improvements have been made with this commitment in mind,” McGimpsey emphasises.
“Late last year, we completed a £15 million infrastructure investment, redeveloping the terminal and enhancing the passenger experience,” she continues. “This included a reconfiguration of the Departure Lounge, resulting in a 30% increase in retail space; a 25% increase in the food and beverage offering; 100% more customer seating for passengers; refurbished washroom facilities; complimentary water refill station; and a significant upgrade to the Security Area, resulting in an average passenger processing time of just six minutes.
“Our attention has since turned to the exterior and front of house areas. A covered walkway now connects our Premier Car Park to the main terminal, only a two-minute walk away; work is underway to reconfigure the front of house area, improving access to the terminal for passengers using taxi and bus services. These upgrades will ensure we continue to provide outstanding service to the 2.5 million passengers who travel through the airport each year,” McGimpsey declares.
With a portfolio of blue-chip airlines, major flag carriers and UK regional airlines, including Aer Lingus, British Airways, KLM, Flybe and Loganair, Belfast City says it can deliver passengers from boardroom to beach and beyond.
“Of our passengers, 51% travel on business and 49% for leisure. They are also loyal with 48% travelling over six times per year from Belfast City Airport,” McGimpsey notes.
Already the airport offers direct flights to a range of popular European mainland destinations along with flights to 16 UK destinations. “In July this year, we launched the Loganair service which operates five-times weekly flights between Belfast City Airport and Carlisle Lake District Airport – further developing our route network and benefitting business and leisure passengers by establishing direct connectivity to North West England,” remarks McGimpsey.
“Our airline partners allow Belfast City Airport to deliver an unrivalled domestic route network. We are working with those airline partners to ensure our network and schedule continues to cater for all customer needs and requirements in 2020, and are hopeful of further announcements soon,” she adds.
