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Belfast City Airport

Many famous aircraft were built by aircraft manufacturer, Short Brothers and Harland Ltd and flown from the east Belfast site including the SC1, vertical take off and landing aircraft the giant Belfast freighter, the Canberra high-altitude aircraft and more recently the Shorts Tucano.



The site occupied by Belfast City Airport, just east of Belfast City Centre, has long been synonymous with aviation.



It was at this location that the Short brothers opened their Belfast works in 1936 and where aircraft such as the famous Sunderland Flying Boat were built and flown.





On 16th March 1938 Mrs Neville Chamberlain, the wife of the then Prime Minister, officiated at the opening ceremony of "Belfast Harbour Airport". This was to be Northern Ireland's main airport. The site was selected for its position within the City boundary and as an eminent airman of the day stated: "The particular ease with which the site, at the head of Belfast Lough, can be found from the air."



Thankfully with modern navigational aids, the latter reason is no longer a prerequisite when choosing a site for an airport.The first services from the airport were to the Isle of Man and Glasgow. The plans for "Belfast Harbour Airport" however were shortlived. All civil flying ceased in September 1939 and the Airport was requisitioned by the Air Ministry.

During the Second World War, the airfield was used for training purposes and the adjoining factory was used for the production of military aircraft.



In the post war years, the airfield was used mainly as a testing strip for Shorts and such illustrious aircraft as the Canberra,the Belfast transport aircraft, and the SC 1 Vertical Take Off and Landing aircraft were manufactured and flown from the site. In 1983 the airfield was reopened to civil traffic. 83,000 passengers were carried in the first year. Belfast City Airport, as it is now known, has developed into a major regional airport, handling more than 1.74 million passengers each year, and providing a service to the main regional centres throughout the United Kingdom.



To visit the Belfast City Airport website click here