--- iata: BFS name: Belfast International Airport city: Belfast country: United Kingdom lastUpdated: '2026-09-01' officialWebsite: 'https://www.belfastairport.com/' sources: - 'https://www.belfastairport.com/' - 'https://www.belfastairport.com/airport-guide/facilities' - 'https://www.belfastairport.com/airport-guide/security/hand-luggage' - 'https://www.belfastairport.com/enhance-your-journey/causeway-lounge' - 'https://www.belfastairport.com/enhance-your-journey/premium-security' - 'https://www.belfastairport.com/getting-to-from/by-bus' - 'https://www.belfastairport.com/getting-to-from/by-taxi' - 'https://www.belfastairport.com/parking/pick-up-and-drop-off' - 'https://www.belfastairport.com/corporate-information' - 'https://www.translink.co.uk/AirportServices' - 'https://www.translink.co.uk/our-apps/mlink-ticketing-app/ticket-types' - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/united-kingdom/belfast-international/bfs-causeway-lounge - >- https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2025/annual-2025/ - >- https://vinci-airports.com/en/our-airports/united-kingdom/belfast-international-airport/ - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfast_International_Airport' quickFacts: - >- Aldergrove, County Antrim — about 13 miles / 21 km north-west of Belfast city centre (UK AIP / Wikipedia); IATA BFS / ICAO EGAA; single passenger terminal; primary runway 07/25 about 2,780 m asphalt plus 17/35 about 1,891 m (UK AIP figures widely cited; VINCI lists ~2,780 m / ~1,951 m — prefer AIP for planning) - >- 6,677,021 terminal passengers in calendar 2025 (UK CAA Table 09; −1.1% vs 6,750,440 in 2024) — second-busiest year after the 2024 record; VINCI rounds 2025 as “6.6 million”. 58,180 total aircraft movements (CAA Table 03.1). Freight about 17,986 tonnes in 2025 (CAA Table 13.2; −27% vs 2024) - >- 100% VINCI Airports (acquired 2018 with Airports Worldwide; corporate page + VINCI Airports profile); operator Belfast International Airport Ltd; easyJet is the largest based carrier, with Jet2 / Ryanair / TUI and others on a 70+ destination leisure/business mix (VINCI / airport) - >- No rail station in the terminal — Translink Airport Express 300 is the primary city link (peak Mon–Fri every ~15 minutes per airport bus page) to Belfast Grand Central Station; Ulsterbus 109A links Lisburn / Antrim; Aircoach 705X serves Derry~Londonderry from the coach park behind the taxi rank - >- New Security Hall with Gen-3 / CT cabin baggage screening: liquids up to 2 litres may stay in the cabin bag, electronics stay packed, no clear plastics bag (airport Hand Luggage page; NI travel press on DfT CT approval). Premium Security is a paid dedicated lane bookable online up to five minutes before entry (under-2s free with a paying adult) - >- Causeway Lounge is the only passenger lounge — airside near gates 16–17 after Duty Free; airport hours Mon–Fri & Sun 05:00–20:00, Sat 05:00–18:00; Priority Pass lists the same hours, max 2-hour stay, closed 25 Dec, smart casual (no sportswear), typically two complimentary alcoholic drinks bentoTips: - label: Transport title: Airport Express 300 to Grand Central — no terminal rail detail: >- Belfast International sits in the countryside at Aldergrove with no station under the terminal. The airport bus page points to Translink Airport Express 300 seven days a week, every ~15 minutes at Monday–Friday peaks, ending at Belfast Grand Central Station (city-centre rail/bus hub). Translink’s mLink ticket-types page lists Airport Express 300 adult single £8.00 / child £4.00 and adult monthly return £11.00 / child £5.50 — confirm live in the journey planner or mLink before travel. Buy at Grand Central / airport TVMs, mLink, or from the driver where offered. Ulsterbus 109A covers Lisburn Rail Station and Antrim Buscentre; the £2.20 Airlink add-on is only for rail passengers from the listed northern stations onto 109A. Aircoach 705X is the direct coach toward Derry~Londonderry (not Christmas Day) from the coach park behind the taxi rank. Official taxis (Belfast Airport Taxis) rank outside the right-hand arrivals door 24/7; sample fares are posted in the exit hall — treat third-party “£25–£40 to centre” figures as orientation only and read the posted card. summary: >- Translink 300 is the default city link; mLink lists adult single £8 / monthly return £11. category: timing - label: Security title: CT lanes — up to 2 L liquids can stay in the bag detail: >- Airport Hand Luggage guidance: with the new scanners you may leave liquids up to 2 litres and electronics in the cabin bag, and you no longer need a clear plastics bag. Destination airports may still enforce 100 ml on the return — pack for the stricter end of the trip. Premium Security is the airport’s paid dedicated lane: book online up to five minutes before entry; staff check boarding pass + Premium Security ticket; children under two free with a fare-paying adult. Live prices are set in the booking cart (third-party guides often quote from about £5 — trust the cart, not a blog). Aim to arrive about two hours before departure on busy easyJet / Jet2 / Ryanair banks. summary: >- Gen-3 Security Hall; Premium Security is the paid dedicated lane (book online). category: terminal - label: Lounge title: Causeway Lounge by gates 16–17 is the Priority Pass room detail: >- After security, turn left through Duty Free and follow signs for gates 16–17 — Causeway Lounge sits beside those gates. Airport page: Mon–Fri and Sunday 05:00–20:00, Saturday 05:00–18:00; pre-book advised, walk-ups taken when space allows. Priority Pass mirrors those hours, notes closed 25 Dec, maximum two-hour stay, digital cards accepted, smart casual with no sportswear, children under two free, and typically two complimentary alcoholic drinks per adult (airport buffet copy also stresses a two-drink alcohol allocation). Self-serve snacks, tea/coffee, soft drinks, Wi-Fi, power, TVs, apron views. Paid day-pass prices move with the booking channel (resellers often show ~£25–£37) — check the airport booking flow or your lounge network app rather than assuming a fixed walk-up rate. summary: >- Sole lounge; PP / paid / DragonPass paths; max stay typically 2 hours on PP. category: status - label: Drop-off title: Forecourt drop-off is paid from the first minutes detail: >- The Pick Up & Drop Off page places the drop-off zone opposite the terminal with payment at the coin/card machine on exit and a ban on leaving cars unattended. Published gate-rate bands on that page: £5.00 for 0–10 minutes, £8.00 for 10–20 minutes, £13.00 for 20–60 minutes, then a higher over-one-hour step — read the live barrier board because longer-stay figures are easy to mis-copy from secondary sites. Use Short Stay / Main / Premium / Long Stay products when you need to park and walk in; book official parking online for the better prepaid rates. summary: >- Airport table lists £5 / 0–10 min, £8 / 10–20, £13 / 20–60 — confirm barrier tariffs. category: timing lounges: - name: Causeway Lounge hours: >- Airport Causeway Lounge page: Monday–Friday 05:00–20:00, Saturday 05:00–18:00, Sunday 05:00–20:00. Priority Pass lists the same daily hours and closed 25 Dec; max stay typically 2 hours (PP). access: - Priority Pass (digital card accepted; capacity managed) - DragonPass / other lounge networks where listed - Pre-booked paid entry via airport / lounge booking partners - Walk-up payment at the door when space allows bestFor: - Priority Pass holders on morning easyJet / Jet2 / Ryanair waves - Anyone wanting a quieter seat and apron views before a leisure departure - 'Early openers who clear security soon after 05:00' summary: >- Only full passenger lounge at BFS. Airside beside gates 16–17 after Duty Free. Self-serve buffet snacks, tea/coffee, soft drinks and a limited complimentary bar (PP and airport copy both emphasise a small alcohol allocation), Wi-Fi, power, TVs, airfield views. Small room — pre-book on peaks; do not expect a full hot-dinner programme. Smart casual; no sportswear on PP rules. verdict: worth-it terminal: Main terminal (airside) amenities: - Self-serve snacks and soft drinks - Limited complimentary alcoholic drinks - Wi-Fi and power outlets - Flight information / TVs - Airfield views near gates 16–17 waterOptions: - kind: free name: Airside fountain near Gate 14 zone: airside summary: >- Airport Facilities page lists a drinking fountain at Gate 14 after you clear security. Bring an empty bottle through the CT lanes and refill here before boarding domestic/near-Europe gates in this pier. location: After security — water fountain at Gate 14 terminal: Main terminal isBestValue: true - kind: free name: International Pier fountain toward Gate 21 zone: airside summary: >- Second fountain listed on the Facilities page along the International Pier toward gate 21 — useful if your departure boards from the longer pier. location: After security on the International Pier heading toward Gate 21 terminal: Main terminal - kind: purchase name: Landside / airside retail bottled water zone: landside price: Typically about £1.50–£2.50 for 500 ml summary: >- Buy a sealed bottle before security if you prefer not to hunt fountains, or grab one airside if you forgot an empty bottle. Free Wi-Fi is capped at about two hours on the Facilities page — not a hydration substitute. location: WHSmith / café units landside before security and airside after Duty Free terminal: Main terminal airportistScore: 7.6 slug: bfs region: Europe --- > Markdown for [/airports/bfs](/airports/bfs). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/bfs) - [Lounge directory](/airports/bfs/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Belfast International Airport (BFS) Belfast, United Kingdom · Europe VINCI-owned Aldergrove gateway with one easy terminal, CT security that allows up to 2 L liquids in-bag, Causeway Lounge on Priority Pass, and Translink Airport Express 300 to Belfast Grand Central — no rail at the terminal, and do not confuse with BHD. ## Airportist Score **7.6 / 10** - Comfort: 7.5 - Navigation: 8.5 - Food: 7.0 - Transport: 7.0 - Disruption resilience: 7.5 ## At a glance - Passengers: 6.7M - Terminals: 1 - Typical security: 10 min - On-time: 80% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - Northern Ireland leisure trips on easyJet, Jet2 or Ryanair - Priority Pass travellers using Causeway Lounge near gates 16–17 - Passengers who want CT security (2 L liquids stay in the bag) ## Watch out for - No rail in the terminal — budget Airport Express 300 or a taxi - Farther from the centre than George Best Belfast City (BHD) - Causeway Lounge is small; walk-ups are turned away when full ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/bfs/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/bfs/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/bfs/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/bfs/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/bfs/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/bfs/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/bfs/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/bfs/reviews.md)