About the Area
Single-runway airport, George Best Belfast City Airport is situated in County Down, adjacent to the Port of Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Belfast was the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, the historical ship that famously struck an iceberg and sank in 1912. Titanic Belfast was opened in 2012 as a memorial to Belfast’s maritime heritage, including shipbuilder Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices and the Titanic Slipways.
The building sprawls over 12,000 square meters of floor space. Most of the space is occupied by private function rooms, galleries, and community facilities.
About George Best Belfast City Airport
Belfast City Airport was formerly known as ‘Belfast Harbour Airport’. It was opened on March 16, 1938 by Mrs Anne Chamberlain, the wife of Neville Chamberlain, former British Prime Minister.
On May 22, 2006, Belfast City Airport was renamed as ‘George Best Belfast City Airport’ to commemorate the life of George Best, International football legend, who was born and grew up close to the airport.
In February 2007, George Best Belfast City Airport was the recipient of the private sector ‘Gold Award of Excellence’ at the Northern Ireland Quality Awards. In May of the same year, the airport was awarded the ‘Environmental Accessibility and Customer Service Award’ at the O2 Ability Awards.
There are two airport lounges where you can relax and unwind before your flight. Enjoy comfortable seats away from the busy airport crowd at these lounges. Complimentary food and drinks, free unlimited Wi-Fi, and reading materials are available for waiting passengers.
Two ATMs are located in the main concourse beside Costa Coffee. Both dispense Bank of England Sterling notes. Another ATM is located in the departures lounge which dispenses Dollars, Euro, and Sterling.
George Best Belfast Airport is a non-smoking zone. Smoking is not allowed inside the terminal building once you pass security. However, there are smoking bins provided at the entrance doors.
The newly installed water fountain in the departures lounge is available for free water bottle refills. The rehydration station is an environmental-friendly initiative to help reduce plastic waste. It is located opposite the House of Ireland and Born and Bred.
Are there car rental facilities?
George Best Belfast Airport has 5 car rental partners located on the ground floor of the airport terminal. Just proceed to the arrivals hall to find the car hire desks. Personnel will meet you and direct you to your rental car. Please always bring your driving license, additional proof of identity (passport if you are working abroad), and a valid credit card.
Popular Destinations
George Best Belfast Airport served 2.4 million passengers as of 2020. These are the 15 busiest routes to and from George Best Belfast Airport.
- London–Heathrow
- Manchester
- Birmingham
- London–City
- Leeds-Bradford
- Edinburgh
- East Midlands
- Glasgow
- Southampton
- Cardiff
- Amsterdam
- Aberdeen
- Spain – Malaga
- Portugal – Faro
- UK – Exeter
