NI licensing: City of Derry Airport now international
City of Derry Airport is now officially treated as an international airport for licensing law in Northern Ireland. The Department for Communities made the Order on 31 March 2026 and it came into operation on 2 April 2026, as recorded on legislation.gov.uk.
Why does this label matter? It changes how alcohol licensing hours apply inside the secure, customs‑controlled part of the airport. When an airport is specified as international, the usual limits on ‘permitted hours’ do not bind licensed premises within that airside zone known in law as the examination station.
The legal hook is Article 41 of the Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, which normally prohibits the sale, purchase, consumption or taking away of alcohol outside permitted hours. The prohibition does not apply to licensed premises located within an examination station at an airport that has been specified as international under Article 53.
What counts as the examination station? In simple terms, it is the customs‑approved area used to examine people and baggage, typically after security. That approval is given under section 22 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979. Think of the airside bars and restaurants you reach once you’ve cleared security checks.
The Department for Communities says two tests in Article 53 have been met: there is a substantial amount of international passenger traffic at City of Derry Airport, and travellers can obtain hot and cold non‑alcoholic drinks at all times when alcohol is available for consumption on the premises. Both conditions must be satisfied before an airport is specified.
If you’re travelling, the practical takeaway is straightforward. Once you’re past security at City of Derry Airport, licensed bars and restaurants inside the examination station may serve alcohol beyond normal hours, subject to their premises licence. This does not extend to landside cafés and shops before security.
For operators and staff, the change removes the permitted‑hours cap in that airside area, but everything else still applies. Age verification, refusal of service to intoxicated people, compliance with premises‑specific conditions and aviation security rules remain in force. The exemption is about hours, not a free‑for‑all.
It’s also worth noting what this Order does not automatically do. It does not turn every outlet into an all‑hours venue, and it does not override the terms of an individual premises licence. Off‑sales and any ‘take away’ of alcohol still depend on what the licence permits and on airport security requirements.
Key dates help you orientate the change: the Order (S.R. 2026 No. 70) was made on 31 March 2026, sealed by senior Department for Communities officer Gerard Murray, and took effect on 2 April 2026. The title is The Licensing (City of Derry Airport) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026, and the full text is published by legislation.gov.uk.
A quick glossary to keep you media‑literate. ‘Permitted hours’ are the standard times a bar may sell alcohol under the 1996 Order and the premises licence. ‘Intoxicating liquor’ is the legal term for alcoholic drinks. ‘Licensed premises’ are businesses allowed to sell alcohol. ‘Examination station’ is the airside, customs‑approved area where these rules apply. If you see claims of “24/7 drinking”, remember the exemption is specific to licensed premises airside and does not remove other safeguards.