Belfast City Airport sets out £200m investment vision to support growth to 7m passengers
Belfast City Airport has set out plans for up to £200m of private investment over the next 15 years as part of a long-term vision to expand the airport and increase annual passenger capacity to seven million by 2040.
image: Belfast City Airport
The proposals form the airport’s Master Plan 2040 and include an extension to the existing terminal, additional aircraft stands, an extended apron and taxiways, and improvements to surface access. The airport also envisages complementary development including a hotel, a new retail forecourt and additional electric vehicle charging facilities.
The airport handled 2.36m passengers in 2025, according to Civil Aviation Authority data, meaning the proposed 2040 capacity would be almost three times current passenger volumes.
Belfast City Airport said the investment would be delivered within its existing airport boundary and would make use of its existing runway. The Master Plan is intended as a long-term framework rather than a fixed layout, with the airport stating that infrastructure requirements may be refined as the plan progresses and regulatory requirements become clearer.
Matthew Hall, chief executive of Belfast City Airport, said the plan represented a significant opportunity for the airport and the wider region. “Delivery of our Master Plan is a once-in-a- generation opportunity that will benefit passengers and businesses across the region,” he said.
The airport estimates that achieving seven million passengers annually could generate £1.7bn in gross value added for Northern Ireland and support more than 23,000 jobs across the region, including more than 1,100 additional roles at the airport campus.
A significant element of the proposals concerns access to the airport. Belfast City Airport has been working with Translink to explore the possibility of a dedicated rail halt on the existing Belfast-to-Bangor line, potentially connected to an extended terminal by a pedestrian bridge across the Sydenham Bypass.
The airport and Translink signed a memorandum of understanding in August to examine options for improving the connection between the airport and the public transport network.
Sustainability is presented as a central part of the plan, with the airport saying that growth will need to be accompanied by increased use of public transport and progress towards its net-zero ambitions. The proposals include greater provision for electric vehicle charging and opportunities for onsite renewable energy.
The airport's previous Master Plan was produced in 2006. The new plan followed an eight-week public consultation late last year, after which Belfast City Airport said feedback had been considered in finalising the proposals.