West of England residents back Bristol Airport expansion

Image courtesy Bristol Airport

The polling of people in the region finds that 44% expressed support for the Airport to increase its capacity to serve 15 million passengers a year. Just 24% oppose the proposals, with the remainder either neutral or unsure. 

Last month, proposals were submitted to North Somerset Council which would enable the Airport to provide more destinations, including world cities within Europe and with a limited number of new longer-haul flights to North America, Middle East, with connections to Asia and beyond. 

The plans would see around £500 million invested in improvements at the Airport and local infrastructure. These include extending the runway to accommodate larger aircraft and increasing capacity of the terminal that includes improvements to enhance the customer experience, including more space, a wider choice of retail and restaurants and the ability to walk onto aircraft without getting on a bus. 

Dave Lees, CEO of Bristol Airport, commented: "It’s great to see such strong support for our plans from across our region. This polling shows that people want to travel from their local Airport and value connections – whether they’re travelling for business, leisure, or reuniting with loved ones abroad. 

“Our proposals would directly connect our region with new destinations and boost the economy, creating 1,000 on-site jobs for local people.” 

The survey also revealed that Bristol Airport continues to play a vital role as the region’s gateway, with 60% having travelled via the Airport in the past two years. A remarkable 73% of respondents said they are considering using Bristol Airport in the next two years.  

The YouGov polling shows how travel is changing, with 28% of people in West of England having close family members living abroad. Travelling to connect with family and friends is a growing market for Bristol Airport for both inbound and outbound journeys.  

The poll also highlighted a growing shift towards sustainable travel options. Of those who have used or plan to use Bristol Airport, 43% stated they are more likely to consider using public transport to access the Airport. Public transport usage has grown significantly in recent years, with one in five passengers now travelling to Airport by bus or coach. Under the proposals for growth, this would increase to one in four passengers, with more bus routes utilising the Airport’s new £60 million Public Transport Interchange and an additional bus lane on the A38.  

BristolAirport is applying for permission to increase the current passenger cap of 12 million passengers per annum to 15 million passengers per annum, which it expects to reach in the late 2030s. Currently 10.8 million people use Bristol Airport. The increase of three million passengers per annum equates to 1% of the total number of passenger journeys made through UK airports in the last year. 

Fewer local people and business travellers would need to rely on travelling to London airports and could instead explore places further afield from their local airport, while also enabling businesses to reach new markets and the tourism sector to benefit from more international visitors exploring our region.