Belfast International Airport (BFS)
Belfast International Airport (BFS), historically known as Aldergrove, is Northern Ireland's largest and busiest airport, handling over 6.3 million passengers per year. It sits 18 miles north-west of Belfast city centre in County Antrim, surrounded by the agricultural Antrim countryside — a very different setting to the city-hugging Belfast City Airport (BHD).
Belfast has two airports with scheduled flights. Compare the Belfast airports on distance to the centre, destinations, airlines and the lowest fares seen.
Where Belfast City focuses on UK domestic routes, Belfast International is the hub for mass-market leisure travel from Northern Ireland. easyJet operates more than 40 routes from BFS, while Ryanair, Jet2, TUI and Wizz Air add comprehensive coverage of European sun destinations. For anyone flying to Spain, Portugal, the Canaries, Turkey or Greek islands, BFS is almost certainly the airport to use.
The airport operates from a single terminal and has undergone significant passenger experience improvements in recent years, with improved security facilities and an expanded retail and dining offer airside.
One terminal — all airlines under one roof
⚠️ BFS can get busy during summer peak and school holiday periods. Arrive 2.5 hours before departure in July and August.
Most popular routes
Belfast International — single terminal layout
Belfast International operates from a single terminal building, meaning all check-in, security, gates and services are in one place. There is no inter-terminal transfer needed. However, the terminal is significantly larger than Belfast City Airport, so allow time to walk to your gate after clearing security.
Transport to Belfast International Airport
| Airporter Coach (Belfast) | ~30 min to Europa Bus Centre · £8 single · runs daily, regular service |
| Airporter Coach (Derry/L'Derry) | ~75 min to Derry · same Airporter service continues north |
| Taxi to Belfast city centre | ~30–40 min · approx £30–35 |
| Rideshare (Uber/Bolt) | Available · approx £25–30 depending on demand |
| Drive from Belfast | 18 miles NW · M2/A57 · ~30 min off-peak |
Compare parking options
Pre-booking is strongly recommended — BFS is a large airport and popular car parks fill up in summer.
Which airlines fly from Belfast International?
Belfast International Airport jobs
1 vacancy at Belfast International Airport (BFS) naming the airport — airport, airline, handling, engineering, cargo, retail and site roles — checked 4 Nov.
| Job | Where | Pay | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse OperativeAviation Recruitment Network | Antrim | £13 – £13.45 an hour | 7 Oct |
Each listing opens its application page; register once, then apply with your CV. All vacancies near Belfast International · Where the airlines recruit cabin crew and pilots.
Things to do near Belfast International Airport
The most-booked tours and tickets in Belfast with a rating of 4.3 or better from at least 100 reviews. Prices are per person, as seen on 4 Nov.
Listings, photos, ratings and prices from Viator; we earn a commission on bookings and the price you pay is unchanged.
Belfast International Airport FAQs
In the week to 4 Nov we saw non-stop fares from Belfast International to 51 destinations. The cheapest one-way fares seen were London Stansted £14, Glasgow £15, Edinburgh £15, Manchester £15 and Alicante £16.
The lowest one-way fare we saw this week was £14 to London Stansted with Ryanair, for travel on 8 Nov (seen on 1 Nov). It is a fare seen on that date, not a live price.
Airlines seen selling non-stop flights from Belfast International this week: easyJet (38 destinations), Jet2 (16 destinations) and Ryanair (14 destinations).
The Airporter coach is the main public transport option, running to Belfast Europa Bus Centre in around 30 minutes for £8 single. Coaches depart regularly from directly outside the terminal. Taxis cost £30–35 and take 30–40 minutes. There is no direct rail link to BFS.
No. Belfast International Airport has no railway station. The Airporter coach direct from the terminal to Belfast city centre is the most practical public transport. Antrim station is a few miles away but requires a separate bus or taxi to connect.
BFS (International) has far more routes — especially budget flights (Ryanair, easyJet's full network) and holiday packages (Jet2, TUI). BHD (City) is only 3 miles from the city with a direct train, but has a much smaller route network focused on UK domestic routes. For European sun holidays, BFS is almost always the airport to use.
Belfast International has a single terminal — all airlines including easyJet check in, depart and arrive in the same building. There is no confusion about which terminal to go to.
Pre-booked parking starts from around £3.50/day for Budget Long Stay up to £15/day for Meet and Greet. Always pre-book — on-the-day prices are significantly higher and popular car parks fill up in summer. For a typical 2-week holiday, pre-booked Budget Long Stay works out at roughly £49 total.
Yes — the Plaza Premium Lounge is available airside to any passenger for a fee regardless of airline or class. Pre-book online for the best price. Access is also available via Priority Pass and premium credit card lounge benefits.
Yes. All major car hire companies are in the arrivals area including Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Budget and Europcar. Pre-booking online — even a few days before — saves considerably over walk-up rates. Remember to allow 20–30 minutes to collect your vehicle after clearing customs.
Aim for 2 hours before departure for short-haul European flights and 2.5 hours during July, August and school holidays when security queues can be lengthy. BFS is a busy airport during the summer season — the queues are real and can take 30–45 minutes at peak times.