George Best Belfast City Airport has been announced in the shortlist for the ‘Airport of the Year’ award at the 2019 AIR Convention Europe Awards.
Belfast City Airport is the only airport on the island of Ireland to be shortlisted in this category. Members of the public can now vote for their favourite airport ahead of the winner being announced at the Convention which takes place 16th-18th September in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive at Belfast City Airport, said:
“AIR Convention Europe is a significant event within the industry and being included in the shortlist for ‘Airport of the Year’ is testament to our commitment to ensuring an enjoyable, hassle-free airport experience for all our passengers.
“Through our airline partners Aer Lingus, British Airways, Flybe, KLM and Loganair, we operate an extensive domestic route network with a daily service to Amsterdam and sunshine routes for the summer schedule.
“Belfast City Airport transports approximately 2.5m business and leisure passengers each year so we work closely with our airlines to make sure our routes and the frequency of services are aligned with the needs of our customers.
“Last year we announced a £15m investment to improve our facilities and ultimately enhance the passenger experience. To date this has included a refurbishment of our Departure Lounge resulting in more retail, food and beverage choice for passengers; 100% more customer seating; and a significant upgrade of our Central Search Security Area has reduced the average passenger processing time to just six minutes.
“At Belfast City Airport we always strive to exceed the expectations of our passengers so we really value their feedback, and that has been central to the improvements made within the terminal so far.”
Located just a five minute drive from Belfast city centre, Belfast City Airport has been named the Most Convenient Airport in the UK and Ireland in a study undertaken by The Telegraph.
The airport was also revealed as the most punctual airport in the UK based on 2018 data from the Civil Aviation Authority.
Mr Ambrose continued:
“Ensuring a convenient, accessible journey through the airport for all our passengers is really important to us and we work with a number of groups and charities to educate and inform our staff of various conditions including hidden disabilities.
“We have maintained a ‘Very Good’ accessibility rating from the CAA which is the highest level and will continue to ensure accessibility for all with any further improvements to the terminal.”
Other airports shortlisted in the ‘Airport of the Year’ category include Heathrow Airport, Warsaw Modlin Airport, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, London Stansted Airport, Trieste Airport, Ben-Gurion Int’l Airport (TLV), Tallinn Airport.
To vote for Belfast City Airport in the ‘Airport of the Year’ category please visit europe.airconvention.com/awards and select the ‘Airport’ tab.