The European Regional Airlines Association (ERAA) has held its General Assembly at ICC Belfast for the first time, an event that matters to association and institute professionals as trade bodies use host city assemblies to turn member gatherings into policy platforms. The two day conference and exhibition on 7 and 8 October drew representatives of many of ERAA’s 58 airline members and delegates from more than 220 aviation businesses.

ERAA is the European trade association for regional airlines. The programme, themed on connectivity at a crossroads, covered aviation security, new aircraft, airport infrastructure, digitalisation and the energy transition, and Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister delivered the keynote address.

ICC Belfast is the city’s international convention and events venue, ten minutes from Belfast City Airport and 25 minutes from Belfast International Airport.

Belfast City Airport is a supporter of the General Assembly and handled 2.36 million passengers in 2025.

Matthew Hall, chief executive of Belfast City Airport, said, “This is a significant milestone for Northern Ireland’s aviation sector, demonstrating the vital role regional airports play in connecting communities, supporting development and creating opportunities for economic growth.”

The assembly arrives as regional air traffic recovers, giving the trade body a stronger case for its connectivity agenda.

Northern Ireland’s three main airports handled 4.556 million passengers in the first half of 2026, up 3.6 per cent on last year and the strongest start on record, according to the Irish News. Belfast City Airport rose 7 per cent to 1.22 million, returning to levels last seen a decade ago, the same report found.

For the sector, bringing airlines, manufacturers, regulators and airport executives into one venue, with a closed door session for chief executives, gives a trade body direct access to the decision makers whose views it represents. For the sector’s host cities specifically, an assembly shows how conferences double as evidence for connectivity investment.

Association events of this kind also depend on local infrastructure: venue access, airport proximity and supplier support shape which cities win future assemblies.

Whether the Belfast assembly translates into policy outcomes on connectivity and taxation, rather than a single week of visibility, will indicate how far trade body gatherings can move regional agendas across the sector.

Source: BusinessFirst / Irish News