Belfast International has opened the second phase of its £10million redevelopment of the terminal.
The new link is a glass-fronted building, the height of two double decker buses and big enough to host a five-a-side football match.
John Doran, the airport’s chief executive told businessmen and women and politicians, who attended the opening, that in the last five years more than £50 million of private investment had gone into the airport’s infrastructure.
“Much of the money spent here has literally gone into holes in the ground or into equipment that passengers never see but which is nevertheless vital to maintain our infrastructure capacity at a level that can deal effectively with any requirement that the demands of the regional economy can throw at us for the foreseeable future,” said Mr Doran. “This economic powerhouse for Northern Ireland directly employs 5,500 and accommodates more than 5 million passengers annually.
“As the second largest airport on the island of Ireland it provides vital support to our 24-hour economy with virtually unlimited runway capacity. The scale of this investment means that Belfast International Airport will have the capacity to cater for absolutely all of the regions air passenger traffic for decades to come. But it could do so much more if the Northern Ireland Executive joined it in partnership to develop its full potential for the benefit of the entire region and all its people.”
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