Airport Guide

History of Bristol Airport

 
Despite having been little more than a regional airfield for many years, Bristol Airport nevertheless boasts a rich history.
 
Officially opened in 1930, making it the UK's third airport, Bristol's airport came into its own in the second world war when, with every other facility in the country turned over to military use, it became the sole destination for civil domestic and international flights, including those to Portugal and Spain.
 
After more than a decade of post-war malaise, the new Bristol Lulsgate Airport was opened in 1957, with a runway extension in 1963 allowing it to welcome modern jet carriers, and the long-haul international passengers they carried.
 
Further expansion happened in the 70s and 80s, though it was the low-cost airline revolution of the 90s, when the name was changed to Bristol International Airport, that saw operations really take off.
 
The year 2000 saw the construction of a new terminal and the first time the two million passengers a year mark was hit.
 
More recently, the Bristol Airport name has been reinstated, while plans for further expansion are the subject of ongoing debate in the city and south-west in general.
 
 

Travelling to Bristol Airport

 
Located just eight miles south of Bristol city centre, the airport is easily reached by efficient transport connections.
 
With no rail connection available, the majority of passengers arriving by public transport use the Bristol International Flyer bus service, which links the terminal with the city centre and the city's main train station.
 
Bus services are also available to a number of Bristol suburbs, as well as to nearby Weston-super-Mare.
 
For those passengers opting to make their own way to the airport, it is well-signposted from both the M5 and the A38.  
 

Airlines flying from Bristol Airport

At present, around a dozen airlines operate out of Bristol Airport, offering both domestic and international flights to numerous destinations across Europe.

easyJet boasts the largest presence at the south-west airport, flying to around 20 destinations.

Alongside domestic services to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle, the budget carrier also flies to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dalaman, Grenoble, Krakow, Madrid, Mice, Palma, Rome and Tenerife, among other destinations.

Meanwhile, rival Ryanair offers a similarly wide range of services.

These include domestic flights to Belfast, as well as international flights to Dublin – currently the busiest route out of Bristol - as well as Bratislava, Budapest, Malaga, Malta, Milan, Seville, Shannon, Valencia and Venice.

At the same time, Air Southwest offers cheap flights to Jersey, Leeds-Bradford, Manchester, Newquay and Plymouth, and Air France jets from Bristol to Paris.

Additionally, Eastern Airways, Brussels Airlines, KLM Cityhopper and the Isles of Scilly Skybus all fly out of Bristol, though none go as far as Continental Airlines, which jets across the Atlantic to Newark, New Jersey.
 

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