Free planning tool · Not a taxi
What time should I leave to collect someone from Belfast City?
Live arrival time + live traffic from your postcode.
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Collecting at Belfast City
Ten free minutes, on a ticket
Take a ticket into the Long Stay Car Park, about five minutes from the terminal, and put it back in the exit barrier within ten minutes to pay nothing. Stay longer and it is £7 for up to an hour.
£4 for ten minutes, no ticket at all
Express Drop-Off & Pick-Up is under three minutes from the terminal and ticketless: cameras read your plate on the way in and you tap a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay on the way out.
Back within fifteen minutes costs £8
Leave Long Stay and come back in inside fifteen minutes and you are automatically charged a minimum of £8 — the free ten minutes does not reset. The approach roads are no-stopping zones, enforced with parking charges.
Prices as published by Belfast City Airport, last checked 24 September 2026. Their own pick-up page is the only place they are current.
This is
A calculator for the person doing the collecting. Free, no account, no booking.
This isn’t
An airport taxi, Uber or meet-and-greet. We never take payment for a journey.
Frequently asked questions about collecting someone from Belfast City Airport
What time should I leave to collect someone from Belfast City?
It depends on the flight and on your traffic, which is what the planner above works out. As a rule, allow for the passenger to get off the aircraft, clear the border and collect bags before they reach the kerb — around 20 minutes for a domestic or Irish arrival, and longer after a long-haul flight — then add your own drive time on top.
Where do you pick someone up at Belfast City Airport?
Three choices. Long Stay gives you ten minutes free on a ticket, about five minutes from the terminal, then £7 for up to an hour. Express Drop-Off & Pick-Up is under three minutes away, ticketless, from £4 for the first ten minutes. Short Stay is from £13 for up to an hour if you want to meet them in arrivals.
Can I drive out and back in if the flight is late at Belfast City?
Not without paying. If you leave the Long Stay Car Park and re-enter within fifteen minutes, the airport automatically charges a minimum of £8. It is aimed at people circling, which is what happens when you arrive too early for a flight that then slips — so the free ten minutes only works if your timing is right first time.
Is this the same as Belfast International?
No. Belfast City (BHD) is the one close to the city centre; Belfast International (BFS) is around half an hour away by road with different parking rules. The planner uses the arrival airport from the flight itself, so check which one it lands at before you set off.
Does FlightPickup arrange the car?
No. It is a free planning tool and nothing more. We do not operate vehicles, employ drivers or take payment for journeys — we tell you what time to set off, and you drive.