Belfast City. Wheels down to the office in a quarter of an hour.
George Best Belfast City sits on the harbour, three miles from the centre of town. For a day trip to Belfast it is hard to beat, and the drive out of it is short enough that the day genuinely starts on arrival.
The airport
Belfast City at a glance
- CodesBHD / EGACGeorge Best Belfast City Airport, on Belfast Harbour in County Down.
- To the city centreAbout three milesRoughly 10 to 15 minutes by road on the A2 Sydenham bypass.
- Runway04/22, 1,829 metresSuits turboprops, light, midsize and many super midsize jets rather than heavy long range types.
- HoursRoughly 06:30 to 21:30Scheduled passenger flying sits inside those hours, with delayed arrivals accepted later in the evening.
- TerminalOne, opened in 2001Small, single level and quick to walk through in either direction.
- Private aviationA dedicated business jet centreSeparate from the passenger terminal, with its own approach and lounge.
- RailSydenham haltOn the airport's southern boundary, with frequent trains to Belfast Grand Central.
- The other airportBelfast International, BFSAbout 18 miles the other side of the city, with a longer runway and no evening curfew. See Belfast International.
The evening limit is the thing to plan around. If your meeting could overrun, ask your operator early whether Belfast International is the safer departure field.
Journey times
From Belfast City by road
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| Belfast city centre and Grand Central | 10 to 15 minutes | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Titanic Quarter | 5 to 10 minutes | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Holywood and the Culloden | 10 to 20 minutes | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Hillsborough | 30 to 40 minutes | 40 to 55 minutes |
| Newcastle, County Down | 55 to 70 minutes | 70 to 90 minutes |
| Portrush and the Causeway coast | 70 to 90 minutes | 90 to 120 minutes |
| Belfast International | 35 to 45 minutes | 45 to 65 minutes |
| Dublin city centre | 110 to 140 minutes | 150 to 190 minutes |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The Belfast approaches slow noticeably between 08:00 and 09:30 and again from 16:30, and the A1 and M1 south to Dublin are unpredictable on Friday afternoons.
Why clients choose it
The short drive is the whole point
Belfast City sits right against the city it serves. From the terminal door to a hotel in the centre, to the law firms and banks around Donegall Square, or to the offices in Titanic Quarter, is a matter of minutes rather than an expedition. That is why so much of its traffic is people doing Belfast in a day: in on the first flight, out on the last, with the car doing three or four legs in between.
The trade off is the runway and the hours. At 1,829 metres the field is comfortable for turboprops and the great majority of business jets, but heavier long range aircraft and some fully loaded departures need Belfast International instead. Scheduled flying stops in the evening, and while a delayed arrival is accommodated, it is not a field to plan a late night departure from. Your operator will tell you which airport your aircraft and your route actually want.
On the day
Where the car waits and how we meet you
For a scheduled arrival your chauffeur meets you inside the terminal with a name board and walks you to the car, which is a short distance from the door. We track the flight and move the car to the real arrival time. If an aircraft goes technical in Manchester or Edinburgh, the car is not standing on a meter while you wait for a replacement.
For a private arrival, the business jet centre has its own road approach away from the main terminal, and its own security and passport arrangements. We speak to the handling agent for your movement, agree which entrance and gate to use, and where the airport permits it for that flight, the car can be brought to the aircraft. Permission is the airport's to give, so we confirm what has been approved rather than assume it.
What we handle
Details that make a Belfast day work
Short distances, tight schedules and a last flight that matters.
- Flight tracking on both legs, with the return timed backwards from the last departure of the evening
- Coordination with the handling agent for private movements, including ramp access where it is permitted
- A car held as directed across a day of meetings rather than a string of separate bookings
- Golf runs to the Causeway coast and County Down, planned around real driving times not map mileage
- Cross border journeys to Dublin, with a driver who does the road regularly
Coverage
Our cars, and cars we arrange
Odyssey owns its cars and employs its chauffeurs in London and Manchester. In Northern Ireland we work with operators we know and have used before, to our brief and under our booking, so you still deal with one team and one number. Cross border work into the Republic is routine on this route, and we plan it as one journey with one chauffeur wherever we can. If you need the aircraft as well, we arrange that: see private jet charter and on demand charter.
Onward
Where Belfast City passengers go next
Other airports
Aircraft that suit the field
Request a quote
Tell us the day
Arrival and departure flights, passengers, and what happens in between. If it is a day of meetings, say so and we will quote a car held as directed. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Belfast City transfers
Can the car come to the aircraft?
Where the airport and the handling agent permit it for your movement. Otherwise the car waits at the terminal door, which is close by. We confirm before you land.
Belfast City or Belfast International?
Belfast City for the centre, Titanic Quarter, Stormont and anything in a day. Belfast International for a heavier aircraft, a long sector, a late departure, or when the weather is marginal and you want the longer runway.
Can you drive us to Dublin?
Yes. It is roughly two hours each way in normal conditions. We plan it as one journey with one chauffeur, and we allow properly for Friday afternoons.
Can you arrange the aircraft as well?
Yes. See private jet charter.
