Latest news with #BRISTOLAirport
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Busy UK airport opens new £60million hub marking start of mega makeover – including bigger terminal & more restaurants
TAKE OFF 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!"
The Irish Sun
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Regional UK airport reveals major masterplan with new flights to US and Middle East… and millions more passengers
BRISTOL Airport has revealed it's masterplan to 2040, with dramatic passenger number increases and new destinations.. The Advertisement 5 Bristol Airport has revealed it's masterplan to 2040 Credit: Supplied 5 The airport hopes to increase passengers by 5million, by the late 2030s Credit: Supplied Current proposals include serving more connections and destinations including new long-haul flights such as the east coast of In addition, the airport also wants to increase annual passenger numbers from 10million to 15million, by the late 2030s. If the plans go ahead, Bristol Airport will reduce the number of journeys taken to London airports from the south west and south Wales Currently, 10million passengers undertake journeys to Advertisement Read more on airports Proposals also including rising the number of flights from 85,990 per year to 100,000. On a busy day in peak season, this would mean an additional 35 flights. Night restrictions are planned to be kept at the airport but the airport is also proposing to increase This would mean on average, four per night on a busy nigh in the peak season. Advertisement Most read in News Travel In the shorter term - over the next five years - the airport's terminal buildings will be extended to include a larger immigration area for arriving flights, more space for The airport is also working to introduce an upgraded entrance with more car parking and a walkway so that passengers no longer have to get a bus out to planes. The new £7billion mega terminal opening at Changi Airport Over £60million will also be spent on improving bus and coach services in the region. There will also be a new drop-off and pick-up location, as well as e-charging points. Advertisement Then - as part of the larger masterplan - by 2040, the airport plans to have new bus lanes, improved public transport links, highway improvements, a rapid EV charging hub, new buildings, over 8,000 more car parking spaces, additional hotel accommodation, an expanded car rental area and an extended runway. It is also even considering having a 'vertiport' for electric vertical, take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft services. The report states: "These zero-emissions aircraft are sometimes called future could play a role comparable to helicopters today. "While the technology is in the early stages of development, it is unlikely to be a major passenger service, but over time it could become viable to carry greater volumes of people between UK regions." Advertisement 5 Other proposals include increasing the number of night flights Credit: Getty A planning application for the appropriate infrastructure for all of the plans, will be submitted later this year. There are currently 14 airlines operating from Bristol Airport to 115 destinations including Alicante, Edinburgh , Tenerife and Barcelona . In 2024, Amsterdam was the most popular destination, followed by Advertisement According to holidays (15.9 per cent). Business customers make up the smallest portion of passengers using the airport (15.3 per cent). In total, the airport contributes around £2billion to the south west and South Wales regions each year. By 2040, the airport hopes to grow this to £3billion. Advertisement And by 2050, the airport also hopes to become net-zero. Dave Lees, CEO of Bristol Airport, said: "We're continuing to see strong demand to travel to and from our region, with business travel surprisingly holding up since the pandemic and people wanting to connect with friends and family across Europe. 5 Bus services and terminal buildings will also be upgraded Credit: Getty 'More than 10 million people from our catchment continue to travel to fly from Advertisement "We're confident we can capture a section of that demand and boost the economy of our region by providing direct connections to North America and the Bristol Airport previously did fly to America via There was a direct service between Bristol and The flights were popular with more than 400,000 passengers using the route. Advertisement However, in 2010, the route was scrapped after the airline stopped operations at both airports. Bristol Airport does already serve the Middle East though, including destinations such as Plus, Advertisement 5 The airport also hopes to be net-zero by 2050 Credit: Supplied
