A look at the history and development of the two Belfast airports and the role of retail
operations and car hire services in this expansion.
The city of Belfast has two airports that act as gateways to mainland Britain and more widely the world. Both
airports have road links and car hire provisions allowing travellers to not only tour the city, but also explore
the surrounding countryside and Northern Island. Both airports have interesting histories and have put in place
plans for the future expansion and development.
Of the two airports, George Best City Airport is the closest to the city; it was named after the city s most famous
sporting son after his untimely death in 2006. Formerly the site was a base used by the Royal Navy flying corps
which continued from the nineteen thirties for over fifty years. At this stage the Royal Air Force were operating
from the nearby Aldergrove site that would later become Belfast International Airport.; this site is far larger
than the one in the city, hence its use by the air force. The city airport sits on Belfast harbour, the reason for
its strong connection with the Navy. In 1983 commercial airlines started to use the airport for passengers and
freight and it was taken over by BAA. However the ownership of the site is questionable as due to the Competition
Commission s investigation into BAA s operations, they have been forced to sell the site. As with any modern
airport, car hire services, shops and restaurants are prevalent inside the terminal building.
The other airport servicing Belfast is the International Airport, it is not as close as George Best and lies
thirteen miles from the city. As was aforementioned, its other name is Aldergrove; this name is still used in
military circles as the site is used by the RAF regularly, the military sharing the runway with commercial
airlines. Belfast International is the busier of the two airports handling around five million passengers every
year. Destinations accessible from the airport are all over the planet; flights go to airports in Africa, the
Caribbean and the United States. Understandably, the realisation has been made by retail companies and car hire
firms that the large international customer base is a source of considerable revenue.
In 2006 the government released a white paper ensuring that all airports in the UK put forward detail master plans
for expansion over the next twenty five years. The objective of the proposal was to evaluate the air transportation
situation in the UK in 2030. As a result Belfast International announced that they would be expanding their check
in hall, constructing a new south pier to accommodate more aircraft and building a large multi storey car park for
passenger vehicles and car hire fleets. As with all of the master plans, the hope of the expansion will be an
increase in the number of passengers using the airport. Funding for the expansion will be generated in a number of
ways, not least through the revenues created by the renting of retail premises and car hire desks within the
terminal. Expansion at the city s other airport is more restricted however, as it is so close to the city, it
cannot expand past its current boundaries for fear of upsetting local residents.
Belfast is in the fortunate position of having two airports. While George Best offers residents a valuable link to
mainland Britain, the International site gives passengers the opportunity to explore the world. The growth of both
sites is likely to be intrinsically linked to the growth of the city as a business centre and tourist
destination.
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