Aldergrove Airport (now BIA) opened in 1963. It was an RAF base, and the existing runway may have been an attraction. It was also the diversion airport for aircraft unable to land at Nutts Corner because of strong crosswinds. Obviously, 1963 was long before the unfortunate "recent history" of which Long Kesh became an integral part. The first jet, a British United 1/11 didn't land until 1966. To be honest I think it was just a cost effective, easy option for the Stormont administration. Why bother with a mundane little thing like siting an airport close to efficient transport links, when you've much bigger fish to fry such as the creation of a new city named after Northern Ireland 's first Prime Minister. But hang on...this new city, Craigavon, was built right beside the railway line and motorway which pass Long Kesh. So a civil airport at Long Kesh would also have been very convenient for business travellers visiting the factories the administration hoped would be built in Craigavon. The concept of an integrated transport system was obviously slow to take off here.