Uel Hoey

Uel Hoey has worked at Belfast International Airport (BFS) since 1988 and has held a Senior Management/Director role for 30 years, serving on the Company Board for 18 years and playing a pivotal role in reinforcing BFS’s position as one of the Top 10 Airports in the UK.

He has responsibility for Aeronautical Services Development, Public Relations and Marketing, and has had direct responsibility during his tenure for introducing easyJet (25 years in 2023), Jet2 (20 years in 2023), Ryanair, TUI, Continental Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Aer Lingus, UPS, Fed Ex and Amazon to the local market, witnessing these customers develop and expand service to the broad benefit of Northern Ireland business, tourism and society.

He has also played a key role in facilitating Presidential and Royal visits over the years and in accommodating the G8 Conference through the Airport in June 2013.

In recent years he has been centrally involved with Government at all levels in the ultimately successful lobby to deliver a critical UK Government reduction in Domestic Air Passenger Duty (April 2023), and earned a Northern Ireland Special Achievement Award for attracting the successful Routes Europe conference to Belfast in April 2017.

He is a Belfast Ambassador, now representing the Air Access Sector on the Visit Belfast Board for a second term, having previously represented the industry on the Board between 2002-2008.