The Translink Airport Express 600 is the sole direct public transport link connecting George Best Belfast City Airport to Belfast Grand Central station in the city centre.

Beginning 8 September 2024, this bus service no longer serves the old Belfast Europa bus station.

Note: The Belfast City Airport should not be confused with the Belfast International Airport located some 45 minutes out of Belfast. For our guide to the Airport Express 300 serving Belfast International Airport, click here.

Where do I board the bus at the airport?

Board the Airport Express 600 from the bus shelter located on the terminal building driveway. Simply turn left after exiting Arrivals and walk down the length of the driveway. You will then spot the shelter for the Airport Express 600.

Where do I board the bus at Belfast Grand Central?

Belfast Grand Central is Northern Ireland’s main bus station located within Belfast city centre. Simply show up at the departure hall, buy a ticket, and keep an eye out for the platform information on the many electronic departure boards.

Onward travel from Belfast Grand Central to the rest of Ireland

If you’re arriving at Belfast Grand Central, you have the option of onward travel within Northern Ireland via Goldliner buses. Onward connections via train from Belfast Grand Central with Northern Ireland Railways are currently not available as no start date has been announced for NI Railways services from the new station.

If you want to travel onwards to Dublin by bus, you can connect to the Goldliner X1 express bus departing from Belfast Grand Central.

For more information, please visit our dedicated info page on cross border travel on the island of Ireland.  

If you have already bought tickets for the Enterprise train service, you need to make your way to Belfast Lanyon Place station. Walk from Grand Central to the old Europa bus station, and catch the bus shuttle from Europa (Great Victoria Street bus stops) to Lanyon Place.

September 2024 update: The tracks between Lisburn and Belfast Lanyon Place remain closed, and Enterprise passengers will be put on a substitute bus running from Lanyon Place to Portadown, where they will then board the train. I recommend taking the bus instead of the Enterprise until the new station starts welcoming train services.

How do I buy my tickets?

There are a few ways to buy tickets for the Airport Express 300 –

• Buying onboard the bus.
• Buying from the ticket machine at Belfast City Airport.
• Buying from the ticket machines at Belfast Grand Central station.
• Buying from the ticket counters at Belfast Europa.
• Buying online.
• Buying on Translink’s mLink app.

If you’re boarding at Grand Central, simply show up and buy the ticket from the ticket machines.  These machines accept cash, and card payments via PIN & contactless (up to £45), and you also have the option of topping up any of your Translink smartcards (assuming you have one). If you’re buying on the bus, both cash and card are accepted.

Due to how new Grand Central is, I cannot currently verify whether there is a dedicated ticket counter for Airport Express services at the new Grand Central. In any event, I find the ticket machines to be quite usable as they accept both cash and card.

I recommend buying your tickets from the ticketing machines or on the mLink app if you can. It’s just more convenient that way and you don’t have to fumble with cash straight off the plane.

For more information, please visit Translink's info page on Belfast airport bus services at https://www.translink.co.uk/usingourservicesandproducts/airportservices

How much do tickets cost?

The fares are at £2.30 for a single ticket, and £4.00 for a day ticket. There is no difference in the amount you pay if you buy online, so you can rest easy and buy your tickets in person before or when boarding the bus. Note that the 600 service counts as a Belfast Metro service, meaning the day ticket can be used across all Belfast Metro and Glider services on the same day.

If you are planning to use the trains and buses in Northern Ireland frequently throughout your visit, you may consider getting an iLink card instead. These are unlimited zonal travel tickets for all bus and train services for a day, a month, or a year within the designated zone(s). The iLink can be used on the Airport Express 600, and you’ll have to buy a Zone 1 iLink card as the airport falls under Zone 1. Do note that the iLink card cannot be purchase at the City Airport, and should be purchased at Belfast Europa instead.

For a full list of fares on the Translink Airport Express 600 service, please use Translink’s journey planner function on the Translink website. For more information on the iLink card, click here.

Timetables and Routing

The Translink Airport Express 600 runs throughout the day all week, with differing frequencies depending on the time of day. Frequencies range from 20 – 30 minutes between each service. The service is not non-stop, calling at Wellington Place and Queens Square in each direction before reaching the City Airport.

Belfast City Airport is not very far from Belfast city centre. An end-to-end journey on the bus takes around 15 minutes.

How are the buses like?

Translink operates specially branded light-blue coloured single deck buses on the Airport Express 600 route. These buses aren’t as well-equipped as those on the Airport Express 300 to Belfast International Airport. For example, there are no luggage racks on the Airport Express 600.

Are there alternatives?

If buses aren’t your thing, you can catch a taxi to/from Belfast City Centre. Taxis can be easily booked at any hour from local operators Fonacab or Value Cabs, the official taxi partner of the City Airport.

Taxis are highly convenient as they provide a doorstep-to-terminal service so you don’t have to worry about missing a bus. If you have a big group and/or a lot of luggage, taxis can be more convenient than the bus, especially since the bus in use for this service doesn’t have luggage racks.

Like other cities, the downside with taxis is that they cost more than the buses, but you’re really paying for the convenience.