- Belfast handled 5.15m in 2016
- Set for 5.4m to beat 2007 record
Ireland’s second busiest airport, Belfast International Airport grew 17pc last year to 5.1m passengers and is on course to achieve a new record of 5.4m in 2017, exceeding the previous peak of 5,272,664 in 2007.
Belfast Managing Director, Graham Keddie said: “Passengers are voting with their wallets. They want value for money and frequent services at the best times of the day. Small to medium businesses are doing more business in GB and we’re able to get them to their target markets at hugely competitive rates with easyJet and Ryanair. The benefits are appreciable, which is one reason why Belfast International is enjoying such growth.
“We could do much more with the right supports. Air Passenger Duty is a considerable disadvantage not only to our airports, but to Northern Ireland as a region. If it disappeared, we could transform inbound tourism, leading to further significant investment along with the creation of thousands of jobs. Getting rid of this impediment is, in my view, a no-brainer.
“This year will be a bumper year for us despite the decision by United to end its popular trans-Atlantic service.
“We continue to do all with can to fill that gap. We are working closely with Government to deliver a major long-haul project that would open up attractive additional and badly-needed connections.”
