Bristol Airport has unveiled a comprehensive masterplan outlining its vision for development through 2040, aiming to accommodate increasing passenger demand and enhance regional connectivity. The proposals would enable the Airport to provide more connections and serve new destinations, including a limited number of new longer-haul flights, connecting the region directly with new destinations.
Key Proposals:
- Terminal Expansion: Plans include enlarging the terminal to improve passenger experience, featuring enhanced walkways with travellators to facilitate direct boarding and reduce bus transfers.
- Airfield Enhancements: The airport proposes constructing new taxiways, extending aprons, and adding aircraft stands. A proposed runway extension, approximately the length of one and a half football pitches, would enable operations of longer-range aircraft, facilitating direct flights to destinations such as the U.S. East Coast and the Middle East.
- Supporting Infrastructure: Plans include improved on-site amenities, additional retail and dining options, a new hotel, and expanded facilities for flight catering and engineering services.
- Transport and Parking: The masterplan addresses capacity improvements on the A38 and enhancements to public transport links. It also proposes increased car parking facilities to the north and south of the airport.
Currently serving over 10 million passengers annually, Bristol Airport contributes more than £2 billion to the regional economy and supports over 5,000 local jobs. The proposed expansion aims to increase capacity to 15 million passengers per year by approximately 2036, potentially supporting over 37,000 jobs across the South West and South Wales, including an additional 1,000 positions at the airport itself.
Dave Lees, Chief Executive Officer of Bristol Airport, emphasized the resurgence in air travel demand post-pandemic and the importance of connecting the region to more destinations. He stated, “We’ve seen since the pandemic a real resurgence in terms of people wanting to connect with friends and family across Europe as well as across the world, and that will inform our plans as we go forward over the coming years.”
The airport has initiated a two-month public consultation period, inviting feedback from the community to help shape these future plans. Details are available on a dedicated website, and information is being shared with local residents to encourage participation in the planning process.
The increase in passengers from 12 million passengers per annum to 15 million passengers per annum, will see aircraft movements increase from 85,990 to 100,000 per year in the longer term to meet demand for air travel. On a busy day in peak period this would result in 35 extra aircraft movements. While night flying restrictions would remain, the Airport is proposing to increase night flights by 1,000 – on average, four per night on a busy night in the peak period.
Bristol Airport has collaborated with airlines to enhance the types of aircraft operating at the facility, actively promoting the adoption of quieter, new engine option models. These advanced aircraft reduce noise levels by 50% compared to standard models. Notably, one major airline operates more of these quieter aircraft from Bristol Airport than at any of its other UK bases.
UK Government policy supports the growth of airports outside the South East of England that make better use of existing runways, and that grow and develop new routes and services. Bristol Airport’s proposals to provide new destinations would reduce the journeys to London airports, which 10 million passengers make from the South West and South Wales every year.
The consultation runs from 25 November 2024 to 31 January 2025. People can find out more about the Airports proposals and provide feedback at www.bristolairport.co.uk/future-plans
