The main international gateway to Northern Ireland , Belfast International Airport has trans-Atlantic flights, with scheduled flights to New York and Vancouver as well as flights to many major European cities. Belfast International is situated less than 20 miles to the north of Belfast City and there are good bus links to Belfast and Derry, while taxis to Belfast are also readily available. There are also plenty of major car rental companies operating from the airport.

Belfast International started out as Aldergrove Royal Airforce Base, the key RAF base for Northern Ireland, until it was transformed into a civilian airport in the 1960s. It was here that Air Force One landed, bringing President Bill Clinton in 1995 and in 2004 annual passenger numbers reached 4.5 million.