Tag: Belfast City Airport

BELFAST CITY AIRPORT ANNOUNCES £15 MILLION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT

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Major works will significantly enhance overall passenger journey through the airport

George Best Belfast City Airport has announced a £15 million infrastructure investment that will include a major upgrade of its departure lounge, incorporating its retail, food and beverage offering.

The investment also includes an upgrade of the airport’s central security area and hold baggage screening facilities, as well as the purchase of a new fleet of Airport Fire appliances.

The capital expenditure will further enrich and enhance the overall passenger journey through the airport, with the upgrade of the central security search area aimed at more efficient processing for all departing passengers.

There will be in excess of a 30% increase in retail space, with an expanded offering from World Duty Free and WH Smith. Food and beverage facilities will be expanded by 25%, with broader choice for customers being introduced along with partner HMS Host, which operates existing facilities including the Bushmills Bar.

Additionally, customer seating will be more than doubled, as will airside customer washroom facilities, which will also be fully refurbished.

The completed works will be contained within the current terminal building and will be completed by October 2018.

Belfast City Airport announced the infrastructure investment at a breakfast briefing for key stakeholders on Tuesday morning at the Europa Hotel in Belfast.

Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive of Belfast City Airport, said:

“In keeping with our overall mission of delivering an airport experience that exceeds our customers’ expectations, Belfast City Airport is fully committed to continually improving the overall journey for our passengers. The £15m investment in our infrastructure is another major reinforcement of our commitment.

“The upgrading of our departure lounge and retail offering will provide greater choice and significantly enhance the experience for our core business and leisure passengers as they travel through the airport.

“The strategic designs help future-proof the airport and we look forward to continuing what has been a successful period across many areas of our business.”

Speaking during the unveiling of the plans, Mr Ambrose said the investment reinforced the contribution the airport is making to key Belfast City Council growth strategies. He commented:

“As a rapidly-evolving city and, as one of Belfast City Council’s key stakeholders, we are proud to play our part in supporting Belfast’s growth and in driving forward strategies to further enhance the city’s reputation on a global stage.

“As a major employer in the city, we will continue working in partnership with the Council and other stakeholders to help further develop a vibrant local economy by improving global connections through our strong network of blue-chip airline partners.

“Situated just five minutes from the city centre, we provide an important gateway for opportunity, not only for business passengers and tourists departing Belfast, but also to inbound holidaymakers from overseas and potential foreign investors.”

The new terminal reconfiguration was designed by Todd Architects and the main elements of the refit will be carried out by H&J Martin on behalf of the airport.

Speaking at the breakfast briefing, The Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council, Councillor Sonia Copeland, said:

“Through regional growth strategies, such as the Belfast Agenda and the Local Development Plan, Belfast City Council remains focused on creating an ambitious and dynamic city for the 21st century, that all our citizens can be proud of.

“Belfast City Airport is one of a range of stakeholders who have a key role to play in the ongoing growth of the city, and we warmly welcome the £15m infrastructure investment. We look forward to the works progressing and the enhanced experience that passengers will be able to enjoy.”

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, commented:

“This investment is excellent news for Belfast and for tourism to Northern Ireland. As an island, direct, convenient and competitive air access is critical to delivering growth in inbound tourism and any improvement in the experience of our overseas visitors, including travelling through our airports, is very much welcomed.

“Tourism Ireland is committed to working with all of our airports and airline partners to maximise opportunities for new and existing flights, helping to deliver further growth in overseas visitor numbers.”

 

To find out more about George Best Belfast City Airport’s Corporate Responsibility strategy, please visit http://www.belfastcityairport.com

 

George Best Belfast City Airport can also be found on Facebook (George Best Belfast City Airport) and Twitter (@BelfastCity_Air).

CO ARMAGH CIDER LANDS AT BELFAST CITY AIRPORT

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Armagh-based Long Meadow Cider has been awarded an exclusive craft cider contract in the Bushmills Bar at George Best Belfast City Airport.

Long Meadow Cider’s contract with HMSHost International, the leading provider of food and beverage outlets in over 100 airports worldwide, was secured following the company’s Blossom Burst Cider beating over 70 local suppliers to be named Northern Ireland’s ‘Best’ local food and drink product in a competition launched by Belfast City Airport in partnership with Food NI earlier this year.

The Bushmills Bar and the recently rebranded St. George’s Market restaurant in the airport, both managed by HMSHost, will both stock the award-winning Blossom Burst flavour.

Peter McKeever, one of the Founders and Managing Directors at Long Meadow Cider, said:
“Having our Blossom Burst Cider named Northern Ireland’s ‘Best’ local food and drink product and receiving £30k of marketing support at Belfast City Airport has been a real turning point in our business, it has been the icing on the cake in what has been an incredible four years.

“As a small, family owned business, we never imagined getting to the finals, let alone winning! We are so grateful for the relationship we now have with the airport which has opened doors and has now led to our exclusive cider contract with HMSHost in Belfast.

“The first order was placed in mid-Summer with a second, larger, order placed the following week, and we believe this contract has the potential to be our biggest.

“Belfast City Airport welcomes approximately 2.7million passengers through its doors each year from domestic and international locations providing us with a considerable platform to showcase our product.

“Alongside the news that both Bushmills Bar and St. George’s Market will be stocking our cider, we launched our new Rhubarb and Honey flavour in July and it has surpassed all sales expectations.

“This new flavour is not only to celebrate our fourth year in business but also in response to demand for flavoured ciders.”

The company already exports to France, Mexico, Italy and the Republic of Ireland, and regularly receives international interest.

The McKeever family has been growing apples at Long Meadow Farm for three generations and all products are made from 100% natural Bramley apples, grown and harvested on the farm.

Alex Woodhouse, Hospitality Manager at HMSHost, said:
“Bottled cider is consistently one of the most popular selling bottled, alcoholic products in the Bushmills Bar and St. Georges Market at Belfast City Airport.

“Over the last number of years, we have focused on trying to create strong links with leading, local suppliers. Where we can work with local providers, we will.

“Long Meadow Cider has had a really successful few years and the feedback from our customers so far has been fantastic, so we’re delighted to work with Long Meadow as our exclusive craft cider partner in Belfast City Airport.”

Joanne Deighan, Commercial Manager at Belfast City Airport, said:
“At Belfast City Airport, we are passionate about championing and supporting local brands.

“Last year we facilitated a relationship between World Duty Free and Shortcross Gin which has resulted in the product being stocked in a number of its outlets in airports across the UK, including Belfast City Airport.

“Our search for Northern Ireland’s ‘Best’ local food and drink product in partnership with Food NI earlier this year allowed us to provide the winner, Long Meadow Cider, with £30k of on-site advertising and marketing support to promote its brand to our 2.7million passengers each year.

“With passengers travelling from across the UK, or further afield through our summer Aer Lingus routes or KLM’s daily service to Amsterdam, it is vital that our retail and product offering is of a high standard. To be able to provide local produce to these customers is fantastic and we’re thrilled to introduce Long Meadow Cider to our customers in the Bushmills Bar and St. George’s Market.”

Michele Shirlow, CEO of Food NI, said:
“The Belfast City Airport and Food NI competition was a fantastic platform for local food and drink producers from Northern Ireland, and the prize for Long Meadow Cider, which sees the brand promoted on a huge lightbox at the entrance to the airport, is a huge boost for the company.

“For this to have now extended to a contract with one of the leading providers of food and beverage outlets in airports worldwide is a real triumph, not only for Long Meadow Cider, but for innovation in local food and drink.

“I am over the moon to see companies such as Belfast City Airport and HMSHost working alongside suppliers and Food NI to ensure home-grown brands are championed and have a strong presence in front of local, domestic and international passengers.”

Northern Ireland’s Long Meadow Cider wins top marketing award

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Northern Ireland’s Long Meadow Cider has won marketing support and brand visibility worth £30,000 in a unique competition run by George Best Belfast City Airport to assist the growth of the food and drink industry.

Long Meadow Blossom Burst Cider also pipped nine other local products in a final tasting session at Belfast City Airport which included a panel of food and drink experts headed by Charles Campion, one of the UK’s most high-profile food critics.

The competition, launched in partnership with Food NI and local councils in January to find the best  local food and drink product, offered the prize of £20,000 of branding on site at Belfast City Airport and £10,000 of online support through the airport’s digital channels.

Joining Charles on the tasting panel for the final shortlisted 10 products were Joanne Deighan, commercial manager at Belfast City Airport, Michele Shirlow, chief executive of Food NI, and food and beverage expert Charlie Kerlin, director of Corporate Finance at Grant Thornton, the business consultancy.

The tasting session was the final stage of the competition, which also involved a detailed application process and a two-week social media competition.

Joanne Deighan, for the airport, said: “We are delighted that Long Meadow Blossom Burst Cider has been crowned Northern Ireland’s best local food and drink product and will receive the fantastic prize of £30,000 of marketing support at Belfast City Airport.

“Over 2.67 million passengers from across the world travel through the airport each year and to receive this amount of exposure will help significantly elevate the profile of Long Meadow Blossom Burst Cider to an international level.”

Long Meadow Cider is owned by husband and wife, Pat and Catherine McKeever, and is based on the family’s apple farm at Loughgall in county Armagh. Managing director Pat McKeever: “We are totally overwhelmed to win this fantastic prize. To just make the final shortlist was a massive achievement in itself, and to be named winner amongst such strong competition is a major honour.

“The marketing prize and the brand exposure we will receive through Belfast City Airport will have a phenomenal impact on our business. We are a family firm that is extremely passionate about what we do and this prize will help take our product to another level.”

Michele Shirlow said: “Huge congratulations to our winner, Long Meadow Blossom Burst Cider, and also to our nine incredible finalists, each of whom has done exceptionally well to reach this stage of the competition.

“I would also like to thank everyone on our judging panel, and I want to offer a special word of thanks to celebrated food critic Charles Campion for his invaluable input.”

Charles Campion, food critic for The Times, The Daily Telegraph and the London Evening Standard, said: “Long Meadow Blossom Burst Cider is a worthy winner of this fantastic competition. This initiative is further evidence that Northern Ireland is truly making its mark in the global food and drink market.”

The full list of 10 shortlisted products was: