The Airport Operator - Autumn 2024
06 September 2024

Domestic and international traffic grow strongly as the airport embarks on a transformative £100m investment programme

CEO, Dan Owens, told The Airport Operator that the airport is expecting “well over 6.5m passengers by the end of the year” (compared to 6.27m in 2019) following its best ever summer driven by the increased capacity of its key airline partners: easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair and TUI. Owens, who became CEO following the retirement of former Managing Director, Graham Keddie, in March this year, said the airport has “a very positive story to tell” as both domestic and international traffic continue to grow strongly.

Owens is also keen to emphasise the scale of the investment programme funded by the airport’s owners, Vinci, which is designed to redevelop and transform Belfast International. “Part of that plan is around refreshing existing assets” he said ‘but also around growing capacity. It includes both a just-opened new security hall, a new walkthrough duty-free and enhanced passenger experience in terms of our gate routes and our lounges, additional work out on our airfield as well as decarbonisation. We have increased our capacity through immigration by over 50%. It is a huge plan, and we are in the early stages of a transformation of the airport”.

Decarbonisation is a key element of the investment programme which will enable the airport to meet its target of reducing the emissions under its direct control by two thirds by 2030. Earlier this year Belfast International announced that it will cut its carbon emissions from diesel vehicles and emergency standby 
generators by 90% by swapping the fuel for hydrotreated vegetable oil. When these vehicles are retired from use, they will be replaced by electric vehicles, with over 10% of the airport’s fleet already fully electric.

As part of its £100m investment programme the airport is also making investments to support airlines in their decarbonisation, including the planned installation of fixed electrical ground power for aircraft.

Read on: Pages 33 - 35 AirportsUK_Autumn-2024_6_Sept.pdf

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