Its operating loss got down to £1.9m in 2022, compared to £4.4m in the year before, after passenger volume reached 1.655 million, over double what it was previously.

“2022 continued to be another very challenging year for the industry due to the ongoing disruption to air travel and our recovery from the pandemic,” Belfast City Airport’s chief executive Matthew Hall said. “As a result, the airport, along with many other airports in the UK, continued to experience substantially lower passenger numbers in 2022 in comparison to pre-pandemic levels. This has had a material impact on the performance of the company as airports have a high fixed cost base regardless of the number of passengers carried.”

“Throughout the year, the company secured new airline contracts which was a significant achievement and witnessed, in December 2022, passenger numbers returning to pre-pandemic levels, ensuring Belfast City is one of the top recovering airports,” he continued. “2023 looks set to be a strong performing year, with a significant domestic and international route portfolio, with the airport now offering 27 destinations with a diverse range of carriers including British Airways, Aer Lingus Regional, easyJet, KLM, Loganair and a new route to Frankfurt with Lufthansa.”