Airport Guide

History of Bournemouth Airport

Bournemouth Airport came into existence with the outbreak of the Second World War as RAF Hurn and has a fascinating history. In 1943, it served as a base for gliders taking part in the invasion of North Africa before having its runways hardened to house the United States Army Air Forces in the preparations for the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy. In addition, Bournemouth was also used as a final base for agents flown and dropped into occupied France to help the resistance.

Once the conflict had ended, Bournemouth became the main operating airfield for the British Overseas Airways Corporation, though Heathrow soon took over this role, meaning that it wasn't until 1968 that a proper airport was built at the site.

After a decade of redevelopment Bournemouth International Airport began to offer charter flights in 1980, with a regular flow of passengers being achieved by 1993.

Purchased by the Manchester Airport Group in 2001, the low-cost flights revolution arrived in Bournemouth, first with the arrival of Thomsonfly and then Ryanair and easyJet.

Since last year, the airport's owners have been undertaking a £32 million redevelopment to cope with the booming passenger numbers as increasing numbers of airlines sign up to fly to and from Bournemouth.

Travelling to Bournemouth Airport

Situated just five miles north-east of the city of Bournemouth in the county of Dorset, the airport is easily accessible for passengers travelling either by public transport or under their own steam.

In addition to easy links to the south-west of England along the A35, the airport can also be easily reached from the capital along the M3 corridor, with a journey time from the M25 of just under one-and-a-half hours. Likewise the Midlands and the North is well linked, also from the M3 which connects to Oxford.

Travelling by train is also an easy option, with direct links to all areas of the country. While the airport has no station of its own, there are regular shuttle buses running to and from Bournemouth Station, with a journey time of just 15 minutes. Buses also serve the airport from all parts of the UK.

Airlines Flying From Bournemouth Airport

Five low-cost airlines currently operate out of Bournemouth, offering affordable flights from the south of England to dozens of European destinations. Ryanair has the biggest presence at the airport, operating services to Alicante, Dublin, Edinburgh, Girona, Glasgow, Malaga, Marseille, Murcia, Nantes, Palma de Mallorca, Pisa and Wroclaw, though several of these routes are seasonal.

In comparison rival easyJet flies to just Geneva and Grenoble in the winter.

Thomsonfly also flies to Grenoble, as well as to Las Palmas, Ibiza, Madeira, Palma de Mallorca, Reus, Rhodes, Salzburg and Tenerife.

The latest addition to the Bournemouth tarmac is Wizz Air, which flies to Gdansk and Katowice.

Blue Islands also offers links to the Channel Islands of Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey.