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Cheap Belfast Airport Parking » Airport Information » History History of Belfast AirportAlthough Aldergrove, later to become Belfast International Airport, was opened in 1917, the beginnings of flights in Northern Ireland actually began in 1910 with the flight in his own plane design by Henry Ferguson. His flight mate on this historic flight was Miss Rita Marr.
It was during World War I that Aldergrove and the neighbouring Malone Aerodrome were used by the RAF, who formed Northern Ireland's first Special Reserve Unit Number 502 (Ulster). The useful life of Malone Aerodrome was very short, and Aldergrove became accepted as the beginning of Belfast City Airport which Neville Chamberlain opened in 1938. Aldergrove was chosen to be the training centre of the Royal Flying Corps. After the war, Aldergrove remained open for both Royal Air Force planes as well as the limited number of passenger flights to and from Northern Ireland.
In 1921, newsmen and photographers were on hand for the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Aldergrove. The newsreel and photographs were shown all over the country.
The first regular civil air service of Northern Ireland began in 1933 with a route by Midland and Scottish Air Ferries from Glasgow to Aldergrove. The next year saw a London route opened at Nutts Corner. Later, however, the Nutts Corner routes were shifted to Aldergrove due to better weather conditions at Aldergrove.
Another Royal visit brought Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother to Aldergrove to open the airport again as a civil airport as well as to introduce the new terminal building in 1963.
The first regular jet service to Gatwick Airport from Aldergrove began in 1966. Three years later the passenger numbers going through Aldergrove had reached a million. As the airport grew, international carriers took notice. Continental Airlines began flying from Aldergrove, now known at Belfast International Airport, to the United States. The airport has over four million visitors annually. It is the westernmost all-weather international airport in Europe.
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