Options for Air Travel to Belfast
Despite its negative reputation in recent history as the center of Northern Irish terrorism, Belfast has largely overcome such problems in recent years. Belfast is instead a busy city that a growing number of tourists and business travelers choose to visit. Fortunately, if you plan to travel to Belfast, you have many options when it comes to air travel.
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Features
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You can choose between two airports when you arrive in Belfast by air. George Best Belfast City Airport is only three miles from downtown Belfast. Flights from Ireland and Great Britain arrive there, as well as some flights from Paris and Tenerife, Spain. Use Belfast International Airport, located 17 miles north of the city, for all other flights.
Types
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Several airlines fly to Belfast. At George Best Belfast City Airport, five airlines make scheduled trips: Flybe, BMI, Ryanair, Aer Arann and Manx2. A few charter services also fly out of this airport. The larger Belfast International Airport offers flights from Aer Lingus, bmibaby, Continental, easyJet, flyglobespan, Jet2.com, Manx2.com, Thomas Cook and Thomson Airways.
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Benefits
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Since Belfast is on an island, you can only arrive by air or by sea. While you can travel by boat to Belfast, air travel is generally cheaper and always much quicker. You can also use Belfast as an excellent jumping-off point for travel in the Republic of Ireland. All of the island is within a day's drive of the Belfast airports, and Dublin is only two hours away by car.
Time Frame
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From London, most flights to Belfast last between 75 and 90 minutes. Flights from continental Europe are somewhat longer, about two to three hours. Flights from North America to Belfast take about six to seven hours.
Geography
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Belfast's position as the largest city in Northern Ireland means that many of the flights to that city originate from the United Kingdom. Daily flights travel from London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh. Flights from Europe include regular service from Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Krakow and Pisa. Airlines also fly directly to Belfast from Toronto and Newark.
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