From 2 April 2026, the Department for Communities has designated City of Derry Airport an international airport for licensing purposes. The measure is given effect by The Licensing (City of Derry Airport) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026 and activates the statutory framework that applies to airside alcohol sales at specified airports. (communities-ni.gov.uk)
Under Article 53 of the Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, an airport may be specified as international where there appears to be substantial international passenger traffic and where licensed premises in the examination station provide reasonable facilities for hot and cold non‑alcoholic drinks whenever alcohol is available. The Department states both conditions are met at City of Derry Airport. (communities-ni.gov.uk)
In practice, the designation disapplies Article 41’s general prohibition on alcohol sale, purchase, consumption or removal outside permitted hours for licensed premises within the approved examination station at the airport. The Department for Communities notes that airside premises may trade whenever the airport is in operation. (communities-ni.gov.uk)
For context, current general permitted hours in Northern Ireland are 11:30 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and 12:30 to 23:00 on Sundays for pubs, and 08:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00 to 22:00 on Sundays for off‑licences. Those baselines continue to apply elsewhere, including non‑airside outlets at the airport. (communities-ni.gov.uk)
The exemption applies only within an examination station approved under section 22 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, essentially the part of the airport beyond security. Landside premises remain subject to general permitted hours and are unaffected by the designation. (communities-ni.gov.uk)
For licence holders operating airside, two obligations flow directly from the statutory tests. Non‑alcoholic hot and cold drinks must be available at all times when alcohol is supplied, and trading hours can be aligned with flight schedules. Standard licensing conditions on matters such as age verification and promotions continue to apply. (communities-ni.gov.uk)
The Department screened the measure under Section 75 on 1 April 2026, recorded it as a new policy and concluded that a full equality impact assessment was not required. Identified stakeholders include licence holders and staff, the airport operator and passengers transiting the airport. (communities-ni.gov.uk)
For airport management and concession operators, the immediate operational impact is scheduling and staffing. Moving away from fixed time bands enables opening patterns that mirror early‑morning and late‑evening departures, though any adjustments should be reflected in lease terms, staff rotas and compliance procedures.
For passengers, the change is straightforward: where airside premises are licensed, service can follow the flight timetable rather than general hours set for pubs and off‑licences across Northern Ireland. Local byelaws, airline conditions and security rules continue to govern conduct within the terminal.