Aldergrove (Belfast) (Crumlin)
| Also known as: | AAC Aldergrove / Aldegrove (misspelling) / Aldergrove Aerodrome / Aldergrove Airport / Belfast Airport / Belfast International Airport / Crumlin Aerodrome / JHC Flying Station Aldergrove / RAF Aldergrove / RAF Station, Aldergrove / USAAF Station 439 |
| County: | Antrim |
| Current Status: | Aviation |
| Date: | Opened 28 February 1918 |
| Current Use: | Active |
| Used By: | RAF (main user) / RAF (Polish) / FAA / AAC / Civil (main user) / Civil (foreign) |
| Landing Surface Types: | Unpaved, later paved |
| Aircraft Roles: | Air observation post / Aircraft preparation/storage (main role) / Airliner (main role) / Air-sea rescue / Army aviation / Bomber / Communications / Fighter / Maritime patrol (main role) / Meteorological reconnaissance / Naval aviation / Trainer / Transport |
The following organisations are either based at, use and/or have at least potentially significant connections with the airfield (as at 01/09/2011):
- ADC & HAS Airports Worldwide
- Aelia Duty Free
- Burger King
- Cafe Bar
- Cafe Ritazza
- Cosmo Car Parking
- Fed and Watered
- Jet Assist
- Maldron Hotel Belfast
- McCausland Airport Car Park
- Servisair
- Starbucks
- Superdrug
- Swissport UK
- The Change Group
- The Irish Quarter
- The Lagan Bar
- The Strangford Grill
- VINCI Airports - owner
- WH Smith
Notable Past Associated Organisations:
- abertis
- Airport Concessions and Development Limited
- Aviance UK
- Belfast International Airport Holdings Limited
- Northern Ireland Airports Limited
- TBI
Main unit(s) present:
- No 1 APC
- No 1 (Coastal) Engine Control Demonstration Unit
- No 1 (Coastal) OTU
- No 2 ATC
- No 2 ATS
- No 2 Sqn
- No 3 AOS
- No 3 B&GS
- No 3 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 4 CPF
- No 4 Sqn
- No 5 Regiment AAC
- No 5 SFTS
- No 9 (Coastal) OTU
- No 9 Sqn
- 12th Wing
- No 13 AEF
- No 15 Gp Comm Flight
- No 16 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 22 ACHU
- No 22 Wing Servicing Wing
- No 23 MU
- No 37 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 48 Sqn
- No 59 Sqn
- No 61 Group
- No 67 Gp Comm Flight
- No 67 (Northern Ireland Reserve) Group
- No 72 Sqn
- No 85 Sqn
- No 86 Sqn
- No 102 Sqn
- No 118 Sqn
- No 120 Sqn
- No 143 Sqn
- No 202 Sqn
- No 203 GS
- No 206 Sqn
- No 214 Sqn
- No 220 Sqn
- No 224 Sqn
- No 226 MU
- No 230 Sqn
- No 231 San
- No 233 Sqn
- No 235 Sqn
- No 236 Sqn
- No 240 Sqn
- No 245 Sqn
- No 252 Sqn
- No 254 Sqn
- No 272 Sqn
- No 275 Sqn
- No 278 MU
- No 280 Sqn
- No 311 Sqn
- No 402 Met Flight
- No 405 Met Flight
- No 502 Sqn
- No 502 Sqn RAuxAF
- No 518 Sqn
- No 547 Sqn
- No 651 Sqn AAC
- No 655 Sqn AAC
- No 665 Sqn AAC
- No 671 GS
- No 707 Sqn
- No 774 Sqn
- No 818 Sqn
- No 845 Sqn
- No 1361 (Met) Flight
- No 1362 (Met) Flight
- No 1363 (Met) Flight
- No 1364 (Met) Flight
- No 1402 Met Flight
- No 1405 Met Flight
- No 1674 HCU
- No 2707 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 2850 Sqn RAF Regiment
- Aegean Airlines
- Aer Lingus
- Air Canada
- Air Ministry Meteorological Flight
- Air UK
- Air VIA
- Airtours International Airways
- Atlantic Airlines
- BH Air
- bmibaby
- BOAC
- British Airways
- British Eagle
- British Island Airways
- British United Island Airways
- Continental Airlines
- Dan-Air
- Dubrovnik Airline
- Eastern Airways
- easyJet
- Emirates
- Europe Airpost
- First Choice Airways
- Fly Hellas
- HQ RAF Northern Ireland
- Jet2.com
- Joint Anti-Submarine School
- Knight Air
- Maersk Air UK
- Malaysia Airlines
- Malinair
- Manx2
- MyTravel Airways
- North West Flying Group
- Northern Ireland Universities Air Sqn
- Orbest Orizonia Airlines
- Queens UAS
- Reconnaissance Intelligence and Geographic Centre (Northern Ireland)
- SATA International
- Skyservice
- Star1 Airlines
- Station Flight, Aldergrove
- Temporary Armament Training Camp, Aldergrove
- Thomas Cook Airlines
- Thomson Airways
- TNT Airways
- TUI Airways
- United Airlines
- Viking Airlines
- Woodgate Aviation
An Embraer ERJ-145LR in front of a hangar at Aldergrove, 10 October 2016.
Various footage of Aldergrove, 1945. Courtesy of British Pathé
Queen Elizabeth (later Queen Mother), Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret at Aldergrove, 1950. Courtesy of British Pathé
An English Electric Canberra sets off from Aldergrove for the first non stop unrefueled transatlantic crossing by a jet aircraft, 1951. Courtesy of British Pathé
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in a taxiing Vickers Viking aircraft at Aldergrove, 1953. Courtesy of British Pathé
Footage from the Battle of Britain Air Display, 1963, at Aldergrove. Courtesy of John Cole
Footage of Aldergrove Airport during the mid 1960s. Courtesy of John Adams
Footage from the RAF handover to Joint Services Helicopter Command in 2009. Courtesy of Steven T
| Decoy Airfield(s): | |
| Satellite Landing Ground(s): | Ballywalter II / Langford Lodge / Maydown / Murlough / St. Angelo |
| Storage Sub-Site(s): | |
| Predecessor Airport(s): |