O’Neill and Little-Pengelly officially open upgraded Belfast airport terminal

Tue, 06 May, 2025 - 16:08

By Rebecca Black, PA

Northern Ireland’s First Minister and deputy First Minister have officially opened an upgraded terminal at Belfast International Airport.

The airport is undergoing a £100 million (€118 million) five-year investment programme with a new terminal extension which includes a state-of-the-art security hall, a new duty free experience and enhancements to the arrivals experience.

Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly took a tour of the facility on Tuesday, along with Pierre Anjolras, chief executive of Vinci, and Nicolas Notebaert, chief executive of Concessions at Vinci and president of Vinci Airports.

The first £25 million (€29.5 million) investment phase, which is now complete, features a 1,600 sq/m duty free store which combines duty free, food and beverages and travel essentials all under one roof.

Meanwhile the new security hall features state-of-the-art next generation security equipment, meaning passengers no longer have to move liquids or electronics from hand luggage.

Externally a new forecourt area has been created, with the building design taking inspiration from the design of the original terminal completed in 1963.

The most notable feature of this building was the angular roof construction and this is still prevalent today, both externally and internally.

Belfast International Airport’s chief executive Dan Owens hailed “significant progress”.

“When we started this process around two years ago we were focused on our goal to transform the passenger experience at Belfast International Airport,” he said.

“Today we can say we have made significant progress in achieving that goal.

“We provide employment for over 4,000 people, connecting almost seven million passengers across our airline network.

“As the economic driver for this region in terms of economic development and tourism growth we are committed to further enhancing the passenger experience while also working with our airline partners to develop our network of routes.”