BELFAST AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Antrim
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The Caa figures are amazing, especially given Easter falling differently. Sunshine remains ever popular, now year round it seems. The addition of some new and exclusive routes next year will hopefully further this.
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Northern Ireland
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A lot more infrastructure needs done to cope with the influx in flights, an icts employee was telling me tonight that the queue for security was all the way down the stairs, and not enough staff to open all security lanes!
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Belfast
Age: 40
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I try not to be a 'grumpy old man' at airports but things like this are very inconvenient and frustrating, BFS seems (in my experience) particularly bad for it at the moment.
Landed (admittedly very early) from the BFS to BRS flight. Security at BFS was chaos. There were no staff directing people as to which queue to use. A large group had to jump the queue to get to their LPL flight on time, and the BRS flight was loaded at gate 18, meaning the pathetic, 1970s (note: no apostrophe required) sign was dangled almost in the main shopping area. Some comedy stag dos to soften the horror of using the place, mind, whoch was certainly entertaining. Should BMIR start LDY-BRS as rumoured, then a happy man I would be.
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: N.Ireland
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It's not rocket science .........BFS knows when flights are departing, the capacity of each aircraft at 90%LF.
Passengers turn up 60-90 mins for domestic flights, 90-120 mins for international flights, on average!!
Can someone not work out how many security staff are required for a speedy throughput
I could be dreading my summer holiday in August!!
Passengers turn up 60-90 mins for domestic flights, 90-120 mins for international flights, on average!!
Can someone not work out how many security staff are required for a speedy throughput
I could be dreading my summer holiday in August!!
GAZMO, spot on. It's grand for BFS management to be (rightly) lauding their success. However, when that success comes with the hit that the airport isn't coping with the demand, then that's not great. I'd give yourself at least 90 mins from arriving to your flight.
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: United Kingdom
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Even if all security lanes are open, it still takes twice as long to pass through security than other airports. The whole 'central search' area was very poorly designed and honestly isn't much of an improvement on the old security accessed by the travelator. The sad thing is that 'central search' was the first phase of the (now scrapped) 2030 masterplan, which aimed to handle 13 million passengers. Security can barely handle 5 million passengers, never mind 13 million.
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Belfast
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Antrim
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That sounds a lot but they operate Caffč Ritazza, Café-bar, Starbucks, Burger King, a couple of bars. They'd probably need 70 for the summer season
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
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It's not rocket science .........BFS knows when flights are departing, the capacity of each aircraft at 90%LF.
Passengers turn up 60-90 mins for domestic flights, 90-120 mins for international flights, on average!!
Can someone not work out how many security staff are required for a speedy throughput
I could be dreading my summer holiday in August!!
Passengers turn up 60-90 mins for domestic flights, 90-120 mins for international flights, on average!!
Can someone not work out how many security staff are required for a speedy throughput
I could be dreading my summer holiday in August!!
Of course someone does that.
Depends on what people describe as a speedy throughout though. People here in N.I. seem to expect to get through search in less than 5 mins 'because it is only a wee airport' etc. and seem amazed when they get to security and see a queue (doesn't have to be full or anything, just a couple of hundred people in front of them and 'security was a shambles' expert expert expert quick, get it on Twitter!) Then they go all around the world and queue up without thinking about it.
These are the same people who flew to the US and actually expected to spend a couple of hours in line for the border there but said nothing/little about it. Take 25 minutes to get through search in BFS though and the world ends....
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
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All those timings you didn't post from airports you didn't name will really show up Belfast....
As I said above, people's expectations here are ludicrous at times.
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Northern Ireland
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Of course someone does that.
Depends on what people describe as a speedy throughout though. People here in N.I. seem to expect to get through search in less than 5 mins 'because it is only a wee airport' etc. and seem amazed when they get to security and see a queue (doesn't have to be full or anything, just a couple of hundred people in front of them and 'security was a shambles' expert expert expert quick, get it on Twitter!) Then they go all around the world and queue up without thinking about it.
These are the same people who flew to the US and actually expected to spend a couple of hours in line for the border there but said nothing/little about it. Take 25 minutes to get through search in BFS though and the world ends....
Depends on what people describe as a speedy throughout though. People here in N.I. seem to expect to get through search in less than 5 mins 'because it is only a wee airport' etc. and seem amazed when they get to security and see a queue (doesn't have to be full or anything, just a couple of hundred people in front of them and 'security was a shambles' expert expert expert quick, get it on Twitter!) Then they go all around the world and queue up without thinking about it.
These are the same people who flew to the US and actually expected to spend a couple of hours in line for the border there but said nothing/little about it. Take 25 minutes to get through search in BFS though and the world ends....
Join Date: Jun 2012
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25% growth in pax in first four months of year
https://www.belfastairport.com/blog-...-third-of-year
https://www.belfastairport.com/blog-...-third-of-year
Join Date: Jan 2017
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And now let's compare with every other airport that I've used in the last year;
LHR T3: 5 mins (mid afternoon), 10 mins (evening)
LHR T5: 10 mins (early morning)
LGW South: 15 mins (early morning)
PRG T2: 2 mins (early morning, late morning, afternoon) 5 mins (evening)
PRG T1: 15 mins (early morning, mid afternoon, evening - 2 security lanes at gate)
HEL T2: 2 mins (late afternoon)
TXL TD: 2 mins (mid morning)
VIE T3: 5 mins (evening)
MAN T1: 2 mins (late morning)
MAN T3: 10 mins (late morning), 15 mins (mid afternoon)
BHD: 10 mins (early morning), 2 mins (mid afternoon)
EDI: 5 mins (late afternoon)
I rarely spend more than 10 minutes at security, even during the morning/even rush hour period. My personal expectation is that it should take the longest to pass through security at the busiest airports during rush hour. If I can get through security at Heathrow in 10 minutes and Gatwick in 15 minutes, then I'd sure as hell expect to get through security at BFS in less time than that. Unfortunately, I have been disappointed time and time again with security at BFS, even during the quietist periods.
Hours? I've never spent more than 30 minutes at border control in the US. I've spent twice as long at border control at BFS though.
Depends on the airport in my experience, LAX and MIA are the 2 worst in my experience. 3 hours is my record wait. The price difference would need to be 3 figures in the difference for me to take a connection in say LHR over preclearing in DUB or SNN and going direct or connecting in the states, but then SNN is my local.
Anyway with the runaway growth up there there's bound to be teething problems. I'm sure they'll get it fixed
Anyway with the runaway growth up there there's bound to be teething problems. I'm sure they'll get it fixed
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: UK
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I have lost track with extensions at BFS. I would have thought that the terminal is only deigned for around 6 million passengers. If the trend is upwards would they have the cash to commence the east terminal?
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Belfast
Age: 40
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In addition to all of a320's very valid points, I will add peak time Friday at Glasgow to that list at less than 10mins on average.
Also, if I pay to skip a queue I expect to skip the queue. Not be asked to join a line created by those who didn't pay simply because there aren't enough staff to open the number of lanes needed. In that case, I have paid to have the right to expect, demand and call it a shambles.
Also, if I pay to skip a queue I expect to skip the queue. Not be asked to join a line created by those who didn't pay simply because there aren't enough staff to open the number of lanes needed. In that case, I have paid to have the right to expect, demand and call it a shambles.
Join Date: Dec 2013
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Stansted was a disaster this afternoon. Stood in the queue from 2:30pm to 3:40pm. The airport only opened 4/5 security lines and left the other 20-30 lines in disuse.
Staff members where holding up passengers and extending the process as they were pulling every second bag for inspection (massive queue here), I don't know if this is a new procedure in light of recent US regulations?
Staff members where holding up passengers and extending the process as they were pulling every second bag for inspection (massive queue here), I don't know if this is a new procedure in light of recent US regulations?