Latest News
Here at Belfast Airport Parking we want to bring you the latest news concerning Belfast International Airport. We hope you find them interesting.
Passengers unhappy with new dropping off charges July 1 2010
Belfast Airport passengers are very unhappy at a £1 dropping off levy imposed at Belfast International Airport.
The charge is unacceptable, the Consumer Council has said.
The airport has announced it plans to bring in the charge on 7 July.
It will also only allow motorists to use the new drop off zone for 10 minutes, before they have to park.
The Consumer Council said its research showed over half of all NI air passengers get a lift or take a taxi to and from the airport.
"Based on 2009 air passenger figures the Consumer Council estimates this new charge could generate revenue of up to £2.3m per year for BIA," it said.
"The Consumer Council is also concerned that the new charge may in fact hinder rather than help airport traffic congestion."If passengers are to pay a £1 fee to use the drop off/pick up zone, many will drop off on the surrounding roads to avoid the charge.
"This is turn will lead to more congestion outside the airport and further safety concerns as the numbers of passengers with luggage walking to and from the terminal will increase."
SDLP South Antrim MLA Thomas Burns said the airport had taken "a scandalous decision."
"The airport is really sticking the arm in to try and squeeze more money out of travellers to boost their profits at the beginning of the busy holiday period," he added.
The airport said it had invested heavily in the drop-off zone in the wake of new government guidelines after the Glasgow airport bombing.
The minimum distance between the terminal and vehicle zones was raised.
An airport spokesperson said that it had also doubled the time duration at the lowest rate in the short-stay car park for those who needed to stay longer than 10 minutes.
Belfast Airport Hit by heavy snow December 20 2009
There was heavy snowfall across many parts of Northern Ireland on Sunday with the north and north-west particularly badly affected.
The runways at Belfast International Airport have now re-opened after two inches of snow were cleared by teams of workers.
However, there are severe delays to flights and passengers are being asked to check airline websites for updates.
The Met Office has warned of more heavy snow showers later on Sunday.
The Rathlin ferry was also cancelled on Sunday morning.
Bea Tucker from the Met Office said: "There will be further wintry showers as we move through the afternoon, some of which will be snow. We could see between five and 10cm by the end of the day."
Police have warned motorists to drive carefully because of poor road conditions in some areas.
Scottish airline Flyglobespan has been placed in administration. December 15 2009
The airline operates transatlantic flights from Belfast Airport, as well as international flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Manchester and Gatwick.
The firm launched its first international flights from Belfast International Airport in 2003 and continued to operate summer services to Orlando and Toronto this year.
A spokeswoman for administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers said a statement would be issued detailing the administration.
Edinburgh-based Flyglobespan, a subsidiary of The Globespan Group, operated its first flights in 2002.
The company is said to have been placed in administration after failed attempts to find a new investor.
Scottish MP Mark Lazarowicz said: “It will potentially be a massive problem to those who have booked their Christmas holidays with the airline, or who are overseas now. The administrators must ensure that people are protected and helped as much as possible.
“Coming just before Christmas, this is disastrous news.”
Open letter from EasyJet December 15 2009
easyJet, Northern Irelands’ largest airline, operating from both Belfast International Airport and Belfast City has today sent an open letter to Northern Irelands’ Environment & Planning Minister, Edwin Poots MLA, demanding answers on the proposed runway extension at City Airport.
Paul Simmons, easyJet’s UK General Manager, said:
“easyJet believes that airlines, passengers and local residents have the right to clear answers and a chance to make their voice heard as part of a public enquiry before any decision is taken on City’s unnecessary spending spree.”
Copy of the open letter below:
Dear Mr Poots,
I am writing to you regarding easyJet’s concern over the current planning application for the extension to the runway at George Best Belfast City Airport, which is currently under consideration by your department.
easyJet is Northern Irelands largest airline, operating from both Belfast International and Belfast City and I strongly believe airlines, passengers and local residents have the right to clear answers, and a chance to make their voice heard as part of a public enquiry before any decision is taken on City’s unnecessary spending spree.
There can simply be no credence to any decision to back the runway extension until a regional Aviation Strategy has been agreed and what Northern Ireland needs right now is a strategic review on optimal runway capacity overall for the Belfast Market.
We therefore would like your response to the following five questions:
* Why does the Northern Ireland Government consider it necessary to create more airport capacity when there is no shortage in Northern Ireland?
* Considering that major airlines such as easyJet, BMI and Flybe already operate from City’s existing runway, where does the Environment Ministry see the benefit of a runway extension at City Airport?
* Considering that only one airline appears to favour the extension, what guarantees does the Ministry have that this airline will continue to fly from City airport?
* How much will the runway extension cost?
* Will passengers of airlines which oppose this unnecessary investment be forced to pay for it via higher airport costs?
I look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Yours Sincerely
Paul Simmons
UK General Manager
EasyJet introduces new aircraft at Belfast Airport December 11 2009
Passengers at Belfast International Airport are to board the first of a fleet of new airliners that are to start operating from the airport.
Those travelling to Amsterdam and Luton will take off in one of the Airbus 319s that easyJet has purchased.
The budget airline has bought the five planes to replace the Boeing 737s it currently flies from Aldergrove.
The first airbus will begin flying passengers on Thursday, with the other four being phased in over the winter. A sixth 319 will operate from the Belfast base from the end of March next year.
The 319 - one of the aircraft in the Airbus 320 family - has 156 seats, compared with the 149 seats on the Boeing 737.
EasyJet said it is one of the most environmentally efficient aircraft available.
Paul Simmons, the airline's regional general manager for the UK, said: "The A320 family is recognised as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family.
"More than 6,400 A320 aircraft have been sold to more than 300 customers and operators worldwide, making it the world's best-selling commercial jetliner ever.
"We are delighted to have brought this new Airbus experience to Belfast. We know that the aircraft will be appreciated by both business and leisure travellers and that our position as Northern Ireland's favourite airline will be further consolidated.
A man stopped at Belfast International Airport had up to £30,000 worth of suspected cocaine hidden in his body, Belfast High Court has been told. November 16 2009
Prosecutors said seven packages of powder were found by hospital X-rays.
Lamine Sambu, 37 and originally from Guinea-Bissau, had arrived on a flight from Amsterdam on 3 November.
Mr Sambu, who is charged with importing Class A drugs, claimed the packages were given to him free in a nightclub and were for his own personal use.
However, the prosecution alleged he was a "trusted courier" attempting to bring the consignment into Northern Ireland.
An estimated 70 grams of the drugs, with a 72% purity and a street value of between £20,000 and £30,000 were found.
Crown counsel David McClean said UK Borders Agency staff became suspicious after questioning him on his arrival in Belfast.
Opposing bail, he added: "The nature of importation suggests an organised operation.
"The background of the incident would suggest he is a trusted courier that has brought these drugs into the country.
"That would suggest the operation would need to recoup their losses and might require him to carry that out."
A defence barrister said Mr Sambu, whose address was given as Molesworth Mews, Cookstown, came to Northern Ireland seeking employment after being laid off as a construction worker in Portugal, where he had lived for 20 years.
The court was told the accused had no idea the drugs had such potentially high value, and that they were only for himself.
However, refusing bail, Mr Justice Weatherup said: "The only indication I have at the moment is that the items are worth a substantial amount of money.
"If that is so it seems to be unlikely that the applicant was given them for his personal use by someone, but rather more likely that this is indeed part of some larger organisation which is importing these drugs into Northern Ireland.
Belfast International Airport based Aer Lingus revenues fall November 9 2009
Irish airline Aer Lingus' third-quarter revenues fell by ten per cent compared to the same period last year.
The carrier said passenger numbers from July to September increased by 7% to almost 3.1m.
However its revenue fell because short-haul fares decreased by 12% compared to a year earlier, while long-haul fares were down 17%.
In October, the airline published an emergency business plan including a proposal to lay off 800 of its staff.
It said it would also cut pay rates in an effort to save 97m euros a year by 2011.
The airline's chief executive, Christoph Mueller, who took over on September 1, has said the company has only a 50-50 chance of survival.
"Positive impact"
The formerly state-owned company did not publish revenue figures for the third quarter.
It has 107m euros this year on restructuring costs, final payments on two new aircraft, and operating activity, reducing its net cash to 400m euros.
In a statement, the airline, which is now partly owned by Ireland's biggest airline Ryanair, said it was continuing to experience difficult market conditions.
"The actions taken to remove capacity on underperforming parts of the network has had a positive impact on stabilising load factors and yields while reducing operating costs," the statement said.
"While the fall in yield year on year continues, the pace of decline in average fares does not appear to be accelerating currently."
The airline also announced that it was removing one airplane from long-haul service, reducing this part of the fleet to five. It said a sixth plane might be added next summer.
Aer Lingus' UK base is at Belfast International Airport, from where it operates flights to 11 European destinations.
Calls for better access to Belfast International Airport October 31 2009
Politicians, airlines and businesses are calling for upgrades to Belfast International Airport's approach roads.
In a move that would encourage more people to use airport parking, legislative assembly member Danny Kinahan told the News Letter that the airport is a "valuable asset" but that it needs improved access to the M2 and M1.
It has been known for passengers travelling from cheap hotels in Belfast to the airport to get stuck behind slow-moving traffic, while diversions are sometimes necessary for travellers heading from the south.
According to the newspaper, there are "no concrete plans" for a new motorway or major new access route to Belfast International, although improvements are only a matter of time as the airport has to compete with Belfast City.
Belfast International is massively important to Northern Ireland. It is the province's second-largest employer and contributes approximately £250 million each year to the local economy.
Almost 5.3 million passengers passed through Belfast International Airport last year, which represents a 47.1 per cent increase since 2002.
This article was provided by Hotels Hotels Hotels suppliers of cheap hotels in Uk