Passengers try new airport lounge
Sunday November 29 2009
A new multimillion-pound departures lounge at George Best Belfast City Airport has welcomed its first passengers.
The facility, which is located on the first floor of the current terminal building above the old lounge, houses a range of shops, a restaurant, bar and coffee shop and is capable of handling 12,000 customers a day.
Its ahead-of-schedule completion marks the end of the first phase of a £6 million revamp of the terminal.
The opening comes as work continues to increase capacity through the search facility in a bid to reduce queue lengths at peak times.
New conferencing facilities and the relocation and refurbishment of the existing business class lounges are also included in the renovation project.
Airport chief executive Brian Ambrose said project should be finished by next spring.
"From today passengers will see a remarkable difference when departing the airport," he said.
"This significant private investment will enhance the customer experience as we aim to stay ahead of the curve in accommodating increasing passenger numbers.
"When the works are completed in March 2010, Belfast will have an airport the city can be proud of and the envy of many other cities."
The terminal redevelopment is taking place as the Government continues to deliberate on proposals to extend the runway.
Press Association
