Busy UK airport opens new £60million hub marking start of mega makeover – including bigger terminal & more restaurants
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
BRISTOL Airport has just unveiled a shiny new £60million transport hub bursting with new restaurants and a bigger terminal.
The swanky new facility marks the first phase of the airport's huge redevelopment project, aimed at boosting capacity from 10 million to 12 million travellers a year.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
Bristol Airport's new transport hub is officially open for business
Credit: Getty
The brand-new transport interchange sits on top of a modern multi-storey car park and includes 16 bus and coach bays, up from just six before.
That means more buses, smoother transfers and quicker journeys to and from the terminal.
Inside, passengers can now make use of waiting lounges, toilets and rest zones, with the whole setup designed to make travelling through the airport a lot less stressful.
Drivers can now park in one of over 2,000 new spaces and stroll straight to the terminal via a covered footbridge – perfect for avoiding the classic British weather and stressful suitcase dashes.
The car park and interchange are part of what Bristol Airport calls a 'one-stop shop' for public transport, all rolled out to improve the experience for millions of passengers.
Airport bosses say this is just phase one of a massive plan to transform Bristol into a more modern, efficient travel hub.
Over the next 18 months, they'll be tackling road layouts, terminal space, and food and drink options – all while keeping the airport running.
And yes, more restaurants, bigger lounges, and improved drop-off areas are all in the pipeline.
There will be a new "drop and go" zone and there will also be better pedestrian links to the terminal.
Dave Lees, chief executive of the Airport, said the new development was "really important as it represents a milestone in terms of improving the facilities for our customers".
Big Changes Coming to Airport Security: TSA Liquid Rule May Be Axed Soon
"Gone are the days of passengers having to walk up slopes here," he added, explaining that the number of bays for coaches and buses had been doubled, as well as the addition of new covered access routes, covered seating and toilet facilities.
This signifies the airport's "level of ambition" as it "looks to the future", he added.
The project has taken over two years to complete and is part of a wider £400million airport transformation project, which aims to improve transport links.
North Somerset Council leader Mile Bell called the new development a "fantastic piece of infrastructure", but added that more needed to be done to improve access routes.
"I think we all recognise that we've still got more to do to make the access routes easier and introduce mass transit, particularly from Bristol city centre so people can get here easier, faster and cheaper using public transport," he said.
He also urged passengers to "give public transport a try" to ease the strain on illegal and thoughtless parking in the areas around the airport.
Not everyone was thrilled by the expansion plans and they sparked strong opposition from environmental campaigners, who argued against more flights during a climate crisis.
The Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN) worked with Extinction Rebellion and other concerned residents to protest the airport growth.
They claimed that the increase in passengers every year would significantly increase carbon emissions.
In 2020, North Somerset Council rejected the expansion plans after also expressing concerns about carbon emissions.
Those against were also worried about the pressure the additional traffic would put on the local infrastructure and greenbelt intrusion.
The rejection was overturned in 2022 but officials stressed that the expansion complied with national planning policy and deemed the climate impact acceptable.
This comes after an unlikely football hero was spotted working at the airport in June this year.
After Swansea boss Luke Williams was sacked in February 2025 he was placed on gardening leave.
The ex-Swindon and Notts County chief decided to do something with his time and joined the team at Bristol Airport.
Wearing a high-vis, the gig is helping disabled and limited-mobility passengers get around the terminals.
Fans flocked to praise the footie star after a photo of him at the airport did the rounds.
One wrote: "Cardiff City fan here with nothing but respect for this. Call me woke if you want. (*best believe I'll turn up in full bluebirds kit when I fly out next week)"
Another wrote: "Clearly has a massive work ethic. Good luck to him!"
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
18 minutes ago
- ITV News
US and EU agree trade deal, says Donald Trump
The United States and the European Union have reached a trade deal, Donald Trump has said. It follows a brief meeting between the US president and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland on Sunday. A White House deadline was days away for imposing punishing import taxes on the 27-member EU, which is America's leading global trading partner. Instead, the US will impose 15% tariffs on EU goods entering America, after Trump had threatened a 30% levy. 'It was a very interesting negotiation. I think it's going to be great for both parties,' Trump said. The make-or-break talks were meant to head off trade penalties - and promised retaliation from Europe - that could have sent shockwaves through economies around the world. Trump and von der Leyen held private talks at one of Trump's golf courses in Scotland, then emerged a short time later saying they had reached an 'across the board' agreement. In remarks before the session, Trump pledged to change what he characterised as 'a very one-sided transaction, very unfair to the United States.' 'I think the main sticking point is fairness,' he said while also noting, 'We've had a hard time with trade with Europe, a very hard time.' Von der Leyen had said the US and EU combined have the world's largest trade volume, encompassing hundreds of millions of people and trillions of dollars. Trump said the stakes involved meant of making a deal, 'We should give it a shot.' Von der Leyen said Trump was 'known as a tough negotiator and dealmaker', which caused the president to interject with 'but fair." She said that, if they are successful, 'I think it would be the biggest deal each of us has ever struck.' Their meeting came after Trump played golf for the second straight day at his Turnberry course, this time with a group that included sons Eric and Donald Jr. The president's five-day visit to Scotland is built around golf and promoting properties bearing his name. A small group of protesters at the course waved American flags and raised a sign criticising British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who plans his own Turnberry meeting with Trump on Monday. Other voices could be heard cheering and chanting 'Trump! Trump!' as he played Tuesday, Trump will be in Aberdeen, in northeastern Scotland, where his family has another golf course and is opening a third next month. The president and his sons plan to help cut the ribbon on the new course.
Scottish Sun
18 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Shoppers spot two new Cadbury's chocolate bars on UK shelves for first time
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHOPPERS are flocking to supermarkets after a brand new Cadbury chocolate bar hits the shelves. The confectionery giant has launched a new Bournville dark chocolate at Sainsbury's, and it's a huge hit for nut fans. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Bournville have a new selection of flavours on offer The treat is packed with chopped hazelnuts and has a luxurious salted caramel flavouring woven through each piece. An eagle-eyed customer shared a snap of their find with members of the Food Finds UK Official Facebook group. "New Cadbury Bournville bar spotted in Sainsbury's," they wrote on the post. "I love Bournville, I need to try these new bars," one commented. Other members excitedly tagged friends in the post. The £2.20 bar is listed on Sainsbury's website but isn't available to order yet. We've asked Cadbury's owner, Mondelez International, which other stores will stock them and will update once we know more. A spokesperson said: "We're excited to be introducing two delicious new flavours to our Cadbury Bournville range, Salted Caramel and Chopped Hazelnut. "The new products will be available at retailers nationwide from late July and will be a permanent addition to our range." Bournville's new Chopped Hazelnut flavour isn't the only new one to delight sweet-toothed shoppers. There is also a salted caramel flavour and a simple yet delicious dark chocolate. The packaging has also had a huge update, the first Bournville has seen in 50 years. It puts a fresh spin on the iconic red and gold colours and reintroduces the iconic 'B' on each square from Bournville's 1908 debut. Valorie Doeringer, Brand Manager for Cadbury Bournville: "Our first campaign in over fifty years aims to cut through the pretentiousness and complexity often associated with the dark chocolate market and communicates that Cadbury Bournville is an accessible, smooth dark chocolate that everyone can enjoy, without the fuss. "The modernised new look of our range, alongside the introduction of our Salted Caramel and Chopped Hazelnut NPD, help us to drive excitement in the segment, and invite more consumes to discover the smooth taste of Cadbury Bournville.' The launch of the new Bournville bars comes just months after The Sun exclusively revealed Cadbury was bringing out a new Dairy Milk bar. The chocolatier unveiled its Dairy Milk Iced Latte flavour in May, combining classic Dairy Milk chocolate with a creamy coffee filling and crunchy biscuit pieces. The brand also introduced four limited edition Dairy Milk summer edition bars with packaging that changed colour based on temperature. Shoppers have also been going wild for the limited edition Cadbury Twirl White Dipped that's been landing on shelves. The bars, branded "outstanding" by customers, are similar to the classic milk chocolate Twirl but with a white chocolate coating.
Scottish Sun
18 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
I'm a picky eater & eat barely any of the ‘awful' food at all-inclusive hotels – trolls slam me as ‘disrespectful'
Scroll down to find out what Simone had for her dinner FOOD FOR THOUGHT I'm a picky eater & eat barely any of the 'awful' food at all-inclusive hotels – trolls slam me as 'disrespectful' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN has been slammed as "disrespectful" for turning her nose up at the "weird" dishes on offer at an all inclusive hotel. Simone Wilko, a self-confessed picky eater, recently went on holiday to Cyprus, and was not impressed by the food that was on offer. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Simone was not impressed by the food in her all inclusive hotel Credit: Tiktok s33immm 2 People have slammed her for being disrespectful Credit: Tiktok s33immm Taking to TikTok, the influencer showed off the diverse array of food in the restaurant at her hotel, stating that there was "so much to choose from, but at the same time there wasn't." Showing viewers a plate of delicious looking stuffed courgettes with vegetables, she said: "I understand I'm in a different country, but what on earth are these foods? "They look absolutely awful." Showing the camera a dish of traditional black eye beans with Swiss chards, she then said: "I couldn't think of anything worse." Simone then spotted a pizza and got excited as she thought it was margherita, but after reading that the label said Quatro Formaggi (four cheese) she decided to give it a miss. The holidaymaker then decided to put some plain bread on her plate, along with a portion of chips. "If these had herbs on, I wouldn't have got them", she admitted. "I just don't like the taste of seasoning." She then placed some ribs on her plate, and a small bit of pork from a stir fry, making sure to avoid the veg as she "hates spring onions". However, she said that the pork was "horrible" anyway, as it had seasoning on it. 10 Expert Tips for Managing Picky Eaters Simone then moved on to dessert, but unfortunately said that she also found her chocolate mousse "disgusting". Her video, posted under the username (@s33immm) has quickly gone viral, racking up 772,000 views on the video sharing platform. TikTok users raced to the video's comments section to share their thoughts, with many unimpressed by Simone's attitude to the cuisine. One person said: "Picky is fine, but insulting other countries' foods is not OK." A second person said: "Fellow lowkey picky eater here but there's a difference between you and me. "I don't go around being disrespectful about food." A third person said: "I'm a very picky eater but this seems disrespectful." A fourth added: "Picky is one thing but just because you don't like something doesn't mean it's disgusting."
