Work begins at Belfast International

After six years of trying to get planning permission, work is underway on a new business park next to Belfast International Airport.

The Gateway business park includes new offices, warehouses and freight handling facilities, as well as the possibility of a second airport hotel.

Belfast International Airport is the busiest in Northern Ireland and the 11th busiest in Britain.

The airport's managing director, John Doran, told BBC News: "The significance of Gateway cannot be understated.

"It is both an investment in the future of the economy of Northern Ireland and the wider economy of the northern part of the island as a whole.

"The location offers businesses access to a growing number of direct air routes to Europe and North America, but because the airport, being one of Northern Ireland's most significant economic assets, is the natural and sensible choice for expanding, forward-thinking businesses."

Belfast International Airport handled over five million passengers last year and has enjoyed steady growth over the past years, serving as the principle gateway to Northern Ireland.