Thousands from around the world are descending on the North Coast this week – with some arriving in private jets
16:53, 16 Jul 2025Updated 22:01, 16 Jul 2025
Woodgate Aviation
An influx of people from around the world are descending on the North Coast this week for the 153rd Open Championship, and among them are the rich and famous who need somewhere to land their private jets.
Many of them head to Woodgate Aviation, a private enterprise at Belfast International Airport that has been catering for customers who can afford tens of thousands to avoid glaring eyes and airport security queues, since 1969.
The family-owned firm, based just off the main airport’s runway, are expecting up to 90 private jets to land at their site between Wednesday and Monday for The Open.
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Speaking to Belfast Live ahead of the rush, Operations Director, Keith McKay, said: “We’re the first point of contact into Northern Ireland for a lot of people, so we make sure to have a big smile and warm welcome as soon as that jet opens up. If everybody can have that welcome right away, it just leaves a wonderful impression of Northern Ireland.
“Thursday, Friday and Saturday look like they’ll be our busiest days for The Open. I suspect also, depending on which players make the cut, on Friday afternoon we could see maybe an increase.
“You might see a wee bit of a rush as players are leaving, and obviously on Sunday once the event is over we’ll probably see more of an increase too.”
The departure lounge at Woodgate Aviation.(Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)
Woodgate Aviation have their own departure and arrivals terminal, a hangar to hold private jets, and their own fuelling provision.
As for what the elite passengers can expect when they’re arriving into and departing from Woodgate’s hub, Keith explained: “We have more of a streamlined form of travel.
“We can have a chauffeur to take passengers out to the aircraft, you’re not under the same restrictions as an airline. You can literally arrive up five minutes before departure.
“We have a lounge that seats up to 25 people, they can help themselves to tea and coffee, alcoholic drinks, there’s TVs and Wifi too. It’s a relaxed atmosphere, and there’s a discretion too, they’re not being harrassed for autographs or anything like that.”
In recent years, since the last time The Open was held in Northern Ireland in 2019, Keith said they have seen a big increase in “luxury tourism”, with much of it fuelled by golf tourism.
The bar at the departures lounge at Woodgate Aviation.(Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)
He said: “There has been a big increase into private jets arriving compared to the last time The Open was held in Portrush. According to Forbes, for every private jet that arrives into Northern Ireland, so lets say a small or medium sized jet seating four to six passengers, it’s bringing in around £65,000 to the local economy. That’s the same revenue as an airliner seating 160 passengers.
“You think all these wealthy Americans are coming to play golf, and more will certainly come as a result of the legacy of The Open, it puts a lot of value into the local economy. People have a misconception about private jets, they don’t realise the important link to luxury tourism into Northern Ireland it brings too.
“We’re certainly seeing golf tourism is very big here. There’s so much potential in Northern Ireland especially with these big tournaments coming here.”
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