Latest news with #BristolAirport
Scottish Sun
2 minutes 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 Sun
3 minutes ago
- Business
- The Sun
Busy UK airport opens new £60million hub marking start of mega makeover – including bigger terminal & more restaurants
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. 2 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". "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!" 2
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Bristol Airport's major £60m upgrade officially opens
A new £60m transport interchange has been officially opened at Bristol Airport. The facility, one of the largest of its kind in the region, can hold an extra 2,000 parking spaces, as well as significantly expanding the number of bus and coach spaces. It will also home the airport's new "drop and go" zone and offer 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". "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 project has taken more than two years to complete, and is part of a wider £400m "airport transformation programme" to improve transport links. Currently only about 15% of airport customers arrive at the site by bus. North Somerset Council leader Mile Bell said the new facility was a "fantastic new piece of infrastructure" for customers but stressed that there was still work to be done."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. Meanwhile, he added, passengers should "give public transport a try" and avoid antisocial parking in local communities around the airport. His comments were echoed by North Somerset MP Sadik Al-Hassan, who also called for a mass transit to the airport and urged any further expansion of the airport to be "balanced with the views of the community". Telling the BBC there were "swings and roundabouts" with any airport expansion, he said: "This is allowing more people to come here by sustainable means, so I'm hoping it will help. but it's part of what needs to be a larger plan to look at how the airport sits within the wider economic area."
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Extra.ie
Ryanair passengers in disbelief after every suitcase left behind
Ryanair have left a whole flight of UK tourists in shock and disbelief after a 'security issue' saw the plane take off without a single suitcase on board. The holidaymakers, heading from Bristol to Gran Canaria, landed in the popular Spanish island on Friday, July 18, without any of their checked baggage. The passengers of Flight FR4757 were only informed of the missing luggage upon their arrival to Gran Canaria, with the captain citing 'time constraints' and a 'security issue' at Bristol Airport. Ryanair has apologised for the 'error'. Pic: Peter Krocka/Shutterstock One of the travellers, 22-year-old Madeleine Cooper, told SomersetLive that they had no idea there was anything wrong until the captain's surprise announcement. She said: 'We had absolutely no issues at all until we landed. Then the captain said they made the difficult decision to not bring any of our luggage. They wouldn't say what the security issue was.' There was a wide range of stress and frustration when the tourists were informed that the 70 bags had been left behind. Pic: Toni. M/Shutterstock Another member of the group, Sophie Payne, shared that she and her friends had to immediately go searching for a pharmacy in Gran Canaria for an inhaler as she suffers from severe asthma. The group added that they were told they should've expected to receive the luggage by the evening of Saturday, 19 July, but were left with little to work with. By 6pm on Saturday evening, they said they had received 'zero communication' from Ryanair and were only told to 'keep using the app' for updates. Pic: Cavan-Images/Shutterstock Madeleine and her fellow student friends claim that they were forced to spend about €60 on transport costs to travel to a shopping centre to stock up on clean underwear and other essentials. Sophie added that there was 'a lot of burnt bodies here', with passengers having to spend more on extra suncream in the 33-degree heat. Many unhappy travellers took to social media to share their outrage at the situation. One user wrote: 'Great start to the holiday as Ryanair decided to bring 0 of the suitcases from Bristol to Gran Canaria. No heart medication for me tomorrow.' Another added: 'We've had to spend over 300 euros on essentials as we have been left with nothing, all of our clothes were in the hold bags, still haven't heard nothing from Ryanair.' A third simply said: 'Currently in Gran Canaria with zero belongings.' A spokesperson for Ryanair told the Daily Mail: 'Ryanair operates over 3,600 daily flights across more than 250 destinations and leads the industry with fewest lost bags – 1 bag mishandled per almost 10,000 passengers. 'Due to an error by our third-party handling provider at Bristol Airport, a number of bags were regrettably not loaded to this flight from Bristol to Gran Canaria on Friday (July 18). 'Affected passengers were notified and their bags were rushed on the next flight from Bristol to Gran Canaria, which departed the following afternoon. 'We sincerely apologise to affected passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of this third-party handling provider's error, whom we are working with to ensure that this does not recur.'
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Ryanair passengers landing in Spain left FUMING as pilot's announcement ruins their flight
Ryanair failed to load a single piece of lugagge on to a Gran Canaria-bound flight, blaming it on a security issue at Bristol Airport but refused to explain what the exact issue was A plane full of tourists have been left in Spain without their belongings after their Ryanair flight flew across Europe without a single piece of checked luggage on board. Travellers on the Gran Canaria-bound flight FR4757, which departed from Bristol on Friday, were left stunned when the pilot told them there suitcases had not been loaded due to "time constraints". The pilot blamed the blunder on a security issue at Bristol Airport. Among the passengers were 11 pals from Taunton, who were on their way to Maspalomas, where they were going for a birthday and graduation celebration. Madeline Cooper, 22, said it was a normal journey until they were told about the issue when they landed. "We had absolutely no issues at all until we landed. Then the captain said they made the difficult decision to not bring any of our luggage," she explained. "They wouldn't say what the security issue was – just that every single person's bag had been left behind." The group quickly discovered they weren't the only ones affected, reports Bristol Live. "We were told today that it was 70 bags that didn't fly. One pram made it across, that's it," Madeline added. "People didn't even believe it at first – some thought it was a joke." Vital belongings left behind included medicines, contact lenses, cosmetics and sun protection. Sophie Payne, one of the party, suffers severe asthma and found herself stranded without her inhaler. "It was really stressful," she said. "I take it twice a day and it gets worse at night. "We've had to search for a pharmacy in an area we don't know." The group, staying at the Cordial Green Golf Bungalows, were informed that their luggage might arrive by Saturday night. But as of 6pm, they had not received any updates from Ryanair. "There's been zero communication," Madeline commented. "They keep telling us to use the app, but some older passengers don't even have smartphones." The ordeal has already disrupted their plans. "We've had to pay €60 just to get to a shopping centre and back for clean underwear and essentials," Madeline said. "We're all students – we can't afford to keep replacing everything." With temperatures soaring and no suncream in sight, Sophie summed up the mood: "There's a lot of burnt bodies around here." Other travellers vented their frustration on social media. One user said: "Great start to the holiday as Ryanair decided to bring 0 of the suitcases from Bristol to Gran Canaria. No heart medication for me tomorrow." Another shared: "Currently in Gran Canaria with zero belongings." Despite the problems, the group is still hopeful that their luggage will turn up in time for their activities, which include a birthday celebration, a trip to a water park, and a private boat tour. "This is provided that we are able to get our luggage," Sophie pointed out. "If we don't our stuff then it's completely ruined the holiday." Some of the group face an hour-long round trip back to the airport to retrieve their suitcases.
