Bristol Airport seems to be booming – with passenger numbers going from strength to strength. Tell us a little about the phenomenal success the airport is having?

  • The UK’s ninth busiest airport, and the international gateway to the South West, handling more than eight million passengers a year.
  • More than 126 direct destinations served, with multiple daily flights to and from major international hubs including Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin and Frankfurt.
  • £160 million invested in facilities since 2010, delivering customer experience improvement.
  • Potential to serve up to 20 million passengers a year by the mid-2040s.
  • In 2018 Bristol Airport handled 6 million passengers.

Passenger numbers have grown every year since 2009, Bristol Airport’s success reflects the thriving city-region it serves.  With an extensive European network and a growing long-haul market Bristol Airport connects the West of England to the world, providing businesses with convenient access to destinations in 30 countries including 18 capital cities.   

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As well as flights by major airline brands including easyJet, KLM, TUI and Thomas Cook Bristol Airport is also home to a business jet operation serving some of the major multinational businesses based in the region, including Airbus, British Aerospace and Leonardo. 

To meet the airline growth, since 2010 over £160 million has been invested in the passenger facilities at the Airport.  More recently these developments include an on-site hotel; dedicated Fast Track security channel; extended security search and immigration areas; state of the art baggage sortation system; car park enhancements and developments including a recently opened multi-storey car park to ensure a high-quality passenger experience.  This highlighted at the recent ACI Awards with Bristol Airport winning Best Airport in Europe Award (5 – 10 million passenger) category.  

Airbus, Rolls Royce, Dyson, Yeo Valley, Thatchers Cider, EDF Energy, Aardman, and Trunki.  The region is also home to a large number of universities, aerospace and financial services clusters. 

In terms of the future you’ve already outlined the need to expand the Airport. What is the plan for that project and what are the timeframes?

With approvals already in place to handle 10 million passengers per annum, Bristol Airport is looking to the future and consulting on the long-term vision and developing a new Master Plan handling 20 million passengers per annum by the mid-2040s’ offering a state of the art Airport for its airlines and passengers in the region. The new Master Plan will support economic growth, create employment opportunities and further enhance connectivity. The development will be created in phases, with phase one looking towards being a 12 million passengers per annum airport by 2026, a planning application is currently being considered by the local planning authority.

Nigel Scott, Director of Business Development at Bristol Airport is set to speak at our Airport Cities Development Conference on the 11th of June! View Programme > 

For firms interested in working alongside Bristol Airport on the expansion project, what values and ethics must companies have, and how would they go around getting involved within the procurement process?

A call to tier 1 principal contractors to join a five-year framework contract for Building & Civils works was issued in April 2019 and the period to express an interest in becoming a principal contractor for these works over £100,000 recently closed. The framework team are currently assessing the responses received from potential principal contractors in advance of a through invitation to tender stage that will take place between June and August. We hope to award the framework contracts in late Summer/early Autumn. When those contracts have been awarded we will start looking at supplementary frameworks, potentially including professional services such as architecture, legal advice, transport/surface access, bio-diversity and cost consultancy along with tier 2 requirements such as mechanical and electrical services, albeit the full scope of the supplementary frameworks is yet to be confirmed. In addition, we will be holding regular ‘Meet the Buyer’ events to provide opportunities for those who want to get involved in working at the airport to meet our framework principal contractors and representatives from the Bristol Airport Development and Engineering teams.

The expansion, which will increase capacity by an additional 2 million passengers per annum and is likely to be completed by the mid-2020s. Have you already started planning beyond on, and if so, what is the vision for the Airport?

We are already looking to the future and mindful the growth of the airport will be phased to meet actual demand.  Major investment is aviation and off-site transport infrastructure, is needed and requires long-term strategic planning and the building of wide support with various organisations and partners. The Master Plan sets out our preferred approach to growth, identifying the key issues that will need to be addressed or resolved in the next 10 – 15 years.

The aviation industry is evolving rapidly, driven by new technology, high environmental standards and the ever increasing needs of people who fly.  Innovation and working smarter will be key to the future of aviation, working with airlines looking at the latest aircraft technology, use of biometrics in the terminal, all providing Bristol Airport to grow in a sustainable way. It will also provide the long-term support and opportunities for inward investment in aviation and specialist sectors.  The Master Plan is guided by five pillars: 

  • A world leading regional airport
  • Employment and supporting economic growth
  • At the heart of an integrated transport network
  • Sustainable approach
  • Deliverability

Nigel Scott, Director of Business Development at Bristol Airport is set to speak at our Airport Cities Development Conference on the 11th of June! View Programme > 

Connectivity is obviously crucial to ensure the airport is assessible to all, and Bristol Airport doesn’t currently have motorway, dual carriageway or direct rail access. Is this currently holding the potential of the airport back, and is there any future plans for the regional authorities or Government to invest into infrastructure? 

One of the fundamental challenges for Bristol Airport is connectivity, and the delivery of mass transit, linking the Airport to Bristol city centre or national rail network, by heavy rail or light rail, or tram. A mass transit station at the heart of an expanded airport would have a profound impact on the design and functionality of the airport, influencing major layout and land-use decisions through the 2020s and 2030s.

The Airport Surface Access Strategy will be a robust framework for discussions with local and regional partners and the Government, to explain how additional investment could unlock economic growth potential in our region.   Regionally, mass transit will also help and drive regeneration and growth in more deprived areas of the region.  Working are working in close collaboration across the region, with various councils, Highways England and Network Rail on a detailed assessment if highway and rail options between the city, the Airport and main M5 motorway.

Airport Cities has started to become a bit of a buzz word, with the likes of Manchester and Dublin creating thriving new locations in and around their Airports. Is this something which Bristol is actively looking into?

Bristol Airport is more than an airport for the South West; it’s a business and transport hub capable of generating significant employment, economic growth for the region. Our research shows that advanced engineering and aerospace, low carbon and high-tech industries offer a potentially good fit with the airport. With careful planning we can identify suitable land that could in future accommodate a concentration of these advanced sectors within a specialist cluster. The West of England’s JSP identified the airport as a Key Strategic Infrastructure Employment Location. North Somerset Council’s Economic Plan also provides a strong platform to optimise the contribution the airport can make to job creation.  In partnership with the local council, West of England Combined Authority, the West of England LEP and the Heart of the South West LEP there is the potential to secure funding and deliver the strategic infrastructure required to enable economic growth.

The Airport Cities Development Conference is set to bring major airports, investors, developers and those from across all sectors of the built environment industry together to collaborate and discuss the huge opportunities airports present to drive economic growth across the UK. Why is the event an important date in the industry calendar?

It provides an opportunity to network and it’s important to share knowledge, best practice and a wider understanding of the industry challenges.   

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Nigel Scott, Director of Business Development at Bristol Airport is set to speak at our Airport Cities Development Conference on the 11th of June! View Programme >