Bristol International Airport
Encyclopedia
Bristol Airport , located at Lulsgate Bottom in North Somerset
, is the commercial airport
serving the city of Bristol
, England and the surrounding area. At first it was named Bristol Lulsgate Airport and from March 1997 to March 2010 it was known as Bristol International Airport. In 2003, the airport drew 45% of its passengers from the former county of Avon
area, 13% from Devon
, 10% from Somerset
. In 2010 it was the ninth busiest airport
in the United Kingdom, handling 5,747,604 passengers, a 1.9% increase compared with 2009.
The airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (number P432) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers and for flying instruction.
.
By 1929 the club had become a success and it was decided that a farm located in Whitchurch
near Bristol
would be developed into an airport. In 1930, Prince George
, son of King George V
opened Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport
— becoming the third such airport in the United Kingdom. Passenger numbers grew from 935 in 1930 to over 4,000 in 1939.
During World War II
, Bristol's Whitchurch Airport was the only civil airport still in operation in the UK, meaning all flights usually bound for London
were terminated in Bristol
. The newly formed British Overseas Airways Corporation
was transferred to Whitchurch from Croydon
and Gatwick Airports. They operated on routes to Lisbon
, Portugal and to some other neutral nations.
established a Relief Landing Ground on 14 acres (5.7 ha) at Broadfield Down by the hamlet of Lulsgate Bottom, near Redhill
. Being high, at 600 feet (182.9 m), the site had a poor weather record, during warm front
conditions when it was often covered in low cloud
. However, when this occurred the alternative airfields at Filton and Cardiff
were usually clear and operational; and as Lulsgate was clear when the low-lying airfields were obscured by radiation fog in calm weather, it was agreed to open the facility. Few facilities were constructed, however pillboxes, defensive anti-aircraft and later two Blister hangar
s were added. The site was attacked by Luftwaffe
bombers on the night of 16–17 March.
In 1941 RAF Fighter Command
used the site for an experimental unit, and after requisitioning land from several adjacent farms, contracted George Wimpey
& Company to begin work on 11 June 1941. The main runway was 3900 ft (1,188.7 m) long, and the first aircraft to land was a Luftwaffe Ju 88
at 06.20 on 24 July 1941. Returning from a raid, it was confused by the RAF electronic countermeasures radio beacon at Lympsham
, which was re-radiating the signal from a Luftwaffe homing beacon at Brest
, France.
The airfield was declared operational on 15 January 1942, with the Miles Master
s, Airspeed Oxford
s and Hawker Hurricane
s of No. 286 (AA Cooperation) Squadron
becoming resident, in their duties to provide realistic exercises to ground anti-aircraft defences. However, as the site lacked some uncompleted basic facilities, No. 286 moved to RAF Zeals
in May, and handed the site back to Flying Training Command. No. 3 Flying Instructor School took up residence, re-training ex-operational bomber crews to teach at Operational Training Units. This continued with visits from various other squadrons until May 1946.
.
Whitchurch airport continued to be used after WW2, but the introduction of heavier post-war airliners made a runway extension highly desirable. However, this was difficult at Whitchurch, because of the nearby housing estates. Consequently, a decision was taken to develop a new airport on the site at Lulsgate Bottom Airfield. Sold to the Bristol Corporation in 1955 for £55,000, the gliding club moved to Nympsfield
.
The new airport was called Bristol Lulsgate Airport, and was opened in 1957 by Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
. All of the Whitchurch airline operations and the Bristol and Wessex Aeroplane Club moved there: in its first year it was used by 33,000 people. In 1963 the runway
was lengthened and in 1965 extensions were made to the terminal
. In 1968 a new 5,000 square foot (460 m²) building was constructed. In 1974 the airline
"Court Line
" collapsed, causing a fall in passenger numbers.
By 1980, 17 charter airlines were operating from the airport. Additions in 1984 included an international departure lounge, duty free shops, a 24-hour air-side bar, an arrivals concourse, and a short-term car park. On 1 April 1987 all employees were transferred from Bristol City Council to Bristol Airport Public limited company
. The operation and net assets of Bristol Airport were transferred from the City of Bristol and the company commenced trading. Over the next few years business boomed with over 100,000 passengers each month in the summer of 1988. The growth of the airport at this time is attributed to the work of the managing director Les Wilson, who died in a car crash in November 1995.
In March 1997 the airport's name was changed to Bristol International Airport, and in December 1997 51% of the airport company was sold to FirstGroup plc
, while the remaining 49% was retained by Bristol City Council. A new terminal building was built in April 1999 and opened in March 2000, and the A38 road
was diverted to cater for the installation of a Category 3 instrument landing system
. In 2000, passenger numbers exceeded two million for the first time.
The airport was purchased by Macquarie Bank and Cintra
in January 2001 for £198m. Passenger numbers passed through three million in 2002, largely due to the arrival of the low-cost carrier Go Fly
. Continued expansion by EasyJet
led to another increase in passengers — to 3.8 million. In May 2005, Continental Airlines
introduced a direct flight from Bristol to Newark
with Boeing 757
aircraft, which ceased on 7 November 2010. Macquarie's stake was spun off as part of MAp Airports in 2009.
In March 2010, the airport was rebranded as Bristol Airport. The airport gained a new logo, said by the airport's owners to represent ‘people’, ‘place’ and ‘region’; and a new slogan "Amazing Journeys Start Here".
Bristol Airport currently does not operate any jetways, so all aircraft have to park on the apron
and passengers either walk out to their flights, or are carried by bus. On 28 May 2010, an £8M project finalised with the opening of a 450 metres (1,476.4 ft) walkway, which connects the terminal building to eight new pre-boarding zones. The promise is to "make the airport journey more convenient, easy and enjoyable", and reducing the need for buses to take you to the aircraft.
This news came just a week after the World Development Movement
stated that flights from the airport generate the same amount of CO2
as the nation of Malawi
. Plans for the expansion of the airport have been now completed and are to be submitted to the council for approval in summer 2008.
A coalition to fight the expansion, known as Stop Bristol Airport Expansion has been formed by Bristol Friends of the Earth
, Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)
and other groups and individuals in North Somerset
, Bristol and Bath and North East Somerset
.
In early 2008, an opposition to the Stop Bristol Airport Expansion campaign was launched to support the expansion and operations of the airport. Named BISON - Bristol International Supporters Group - it is targeted at the travelling public.
A decision was due on 3 March after a meeting at Weston-super-Mare
Town Hall, on 24 May permission was granted by the council. As part of the expansion, planning permission was also granted for a 251-room hotel, which will open in 2012.
and XL Airways flights. This was due to braking action on the runway not being the required standard for safe stopping in wet conditions. Virtually all of the operations were moved to Cardiff Airport by these two airlines. EasyJet moved 60% of its operations to Cardiff during this weekend of disruption.
The problem arose from a new £17 million asphalt runway surface not being sufficiently grooved to allow water run off. Although the new runway was given Civil Aviation Authority clearance on 4 January 2007, there had been a number of incidents over the previous four weeks, with aircraft unable to stop without running over the operating limits of the runway.
A British Airways
spokeswoman said it would not operate flights if the runway moisture levels were above a certain level, and the airline cancelled several of its flights.
On Sunday 7 January 2007, following further cancellations, Bristol Airport management made the decision to close the runway from 14:30 for work to resolve the problem. The runway remained closed during Monday 8 January. An Air Accidents Investigation Branch
report, released in January 2009, reported that there were two serious incidents where aircraft left the runway in December 2006. The report highlighted technical faults with the runway surface, and operational problems with the airlines and the airport operator.
are rarely used due to weight restrictions.
Bristol International Airport is located on the A38
, 8 miles (13 km) south of Bristol city centre. The airport is signposted from the M5
, from junction 22 when approaching from the south and junction 18 when approaching from the north. Neither gives quick access to the airport, a fact which is recognised by the Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study. A number of solutions have been proposed, including a new link road between the A38 and the A371
but nothing has been approved.
The Bristol International Flyer coach services A1 & A2 operate to and from Bristol calling at Bedminster, Bristol Temple Meads railway station, and Bristol Bus station. Some services continue to Clifton
. The service takes 30 minutes from the city centre and can be booked as part of a rail journey, changing between train and bus at Bristol Temple Meads. These are operated by First Group on behalf of Bristol Airport.
A bus service to and from Weston-super-Mare
operates every two hours, service number 121. This service is operated by Wessex Connect and Bakers Coaches on behalf of North Somerset Council.
(GA) centre. In 2006 the GA terminal was relocated from the north side next to the control tower, to a purpose-built facility on the south east corner of the field. There are two GA organisations based at Bristol. All GA handling for visiting aircraft is managed by Bristol Flying Centre, which also provides pilot training
and engineering services. Bristol & Wessex Aeroplane Club provides pilot training on both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
G-AMOA of Cambrian Airways
was damaged beyond economic repair in a heavy landing.
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
, is the commercial airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
serving the city of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England and the surrounding area. At first it was named Bristol Lulsgate Airport and from March 1997 to March 2010 it was known as Bristol International Airport. In 2003, the airport drew 45% of its passengers from the former county of Avon
Avon (county)
Avon was, from 1974 to 1996, a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in the west of England.The county was named after the River Avon, which runs through the area. It was formed from parts of the historic counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset, together with the City of Bristol...
area, 13% from Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, 10% from Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. In 2010 it was the ninth busiest airport
Busiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic
The tables below contain CAA data from 2006 to 2009, on the busiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic, including information on international, domestic and transit counterparts...
in the United Kingdom, handling 5,747,604 passengers, a 1.9% increase compared with 2009.
The airport has a CAA Public Use Aerodrome Licence (number P432) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers and for flying instruction.
History
In 1927 a group of local businessmen raised £6,000 through public subscription to start a flying club at Filton AerodromeFilton Aerodrome
Bristol Filton Airport or Filton Aerodrome lies on the border between Filton and Patchway, within South Gloucestershire, north of Bristol, England. The airfield is bounded by the A38 trunk road to the east, the former London to Avonmouth railway line to the south and the Old Filton Bypass road to...
.
By 1929 the club had become a success and it was decided that a farm located in Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Bristol
Whitchurch is a village in north Somerset, England and an adjoining suburb of south eastern Bristol, bounded by Hartcliffe to the west and Hengrove and Knowle to the north. The suburb was initially developed during the 1930s....
near Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
would be developed into an airport. In 1930, Prince George
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
, son of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
opened Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport
Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport
Bristol Airport, also known as Whitchurch Airport, was a municipal airport in Bristol, England, three miles south of the city centre, from 1930 to 1957. It was the main airport for Bristol and area...
— becoming the third such airport in the United Kingdom. Passenger numbers grew from 935 in 1930 to over 4,000 in 1939.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Bristol's Whitchurch Airport was the only civil airport still in operation in the UK, meaning all flights usually bound for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
were terminated in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. The newly formed British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
was transferred to Whitchurch from Croydon
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
and Gatwick Airports. They operated on routes to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal and to some other neutral nations.
RAF Lulsgate Bottom
In September 1940 No 10 Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Weston-super-MareRAF Weston-super-Mare
RAF Weston-super-Mare was a Royal Air Force station on a civilian airfield in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England.It was set up as a municipal civilian airport in the 1930s before being taken over by the RAF in World War II for training and technical services. It was also the site of an aircraft...
established a Relief Landing Ground on 14 acres (5.7 ha) at Broadfield Down by the hamlet of Lulsgate Bottom, near Redhill
Redhill, Somerset
Redhill is a village in the parish of Wrington, Somerset, England, on the A38 Bridgwater Road about south of Bristol and close to Bristol International Airport. It falls within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset-History:...
. Being high, at 600 feet (182.9 m), the site had a poor weather record, during warm front
Warm front
A warm front is a density discontinuity located at the leading edge of a homogeneous warm air mass, and is typically located on the equator-facing edge of an isotherm gradient...
conditions when it was often covered in low cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
. However, when this occurred the alternative airfields at Filton and Cardiff
RAF Pengam Moors
RAF Pengam Moors was a Royal Air Force station and maintenance unit , located on the Pengam Moors area of Tremorfa, 2 miles south east of Cardiff city centre in Wales from June 1938 to January 1946....
were usually clear and operational; and as Lulsgate was clear when the low-lying airfields were obscured by radiation fog in calm weather, it was agreed to open the facility. Few facilities were constructed, however pillboxes, defensive anti-aircraft and later two Blister hangar
Blister hangar
A blister hangar is an arched, portable aircraft hangar patented by Miskins and Sons in 1939. It is made of wooden or steel ribs that are generally covered in steel sheets. It does not require a foundation and can be anchored with iron stakes.-References:*...
s were added. The site was attacked by Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
bombers on the night of 16–17 March.
In 1941 RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
used the site for an experimental unit, and after requisitioning land from several adjacent farms, contracted George Wimpey
George Wimpey
George Wimpey was formed in 1880 and, based in Hammersmith, operated largely as a road surfacing contractor. The business was acquired by Godfrey Mitchell in 1919 and he developed it into the UK’s pre-eminent construction and housebuilding firm. In 2007, Wimpey merged with Taylor Woodrow to create...
& Company to begin work on 11 June 1941. The main runway was 3900 ft (1,188.7 m) long, and the first aircraft to land was a Luftwaffe Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
at 06.20 on 24 July 1941. Returning from a raid, it was confused by the RAF electronic countermeasures radio beacon at Lympsham
Lympsham
Lympsham is a village and civil parish six miles west of Axbridge and six miles south-east of Weston-super-Mare, close to the River Axe in Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Wick where Wick Farmhouse dates from the mid 18th century....
, which was re-radiating the signal from a Luftwaffe homing beacon at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, France.
The airfield was declared operational on 15 January 1942, with the Miles Master
Miles Master
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Amos, Peter and Don Lambert Brown. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0....
s, Airspeed Oxford
Airspeed Oxford
The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:...
s and Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s of No. 286 (AA Cooperation) Squadron
No. 286 Squadron RAF
No. 286 Squadron RAF was a non-operational Second World War Royal Air Force squadron that operated a variety of aircraft to provide targets for anti-aircraft gun practice in the west country of England.-History:...
becoming resident, in their duties to provide realistic exercises to ground anti-aircraft defences. However, as the site lacked some uncompleted basic facilities, No. 286 moved to RAF Zeals
RAF Zeals
RAF Zeals was a wartime Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire.The station was sited to the north of the village of Zeals, next to the village of Stourton and the Stourhead estate.The station was only in operation from 1942 to 1946...
in May, and handed the site back to Flying Training Command. No. 3 Flying Instructor School took up residence, re-training ex-operational bomber crews to teach at Operational Training Units. This continued with visits from various other squadrons until May 1946.
Lulsgate Bottom Airfield
On the cessation of war activities, and the reduced need for pilot training, the RAF ceased training at the site 14 April 1946, and abandoned it completely from October 1946. From 1948, the site was the home of the Bristol Gliding Club. In 1948 and 1949, the Bristol Motor Cycle and Light Car Club hosted motor races on a 2 miles (3.2 km) circuit, but due to planning and noise issues moved in 1950 to a site that became known as Castle Combe CircuitCastle Combe Circuit
Castle Combe Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Wiltshire, England, approximately from Bristol. The circuit used to be the perimeter track of a World War II airfield, and opened to racing in 1950.- History :...
.
Bristol Lulsgate Airport
Nympsfield
Nympsfield is a village and civil parish in the English county of Gloucestershire. It is located around six miles south-west of the town of Stroud. As well as Nympsfield village, the parish also contains the hamlet of Cockadilly....
.
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, née Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark was a member of the British Royal Family; the wife of Prince George, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck....
. All of the Whitchurch airline operations and the Bristol and Wessex Aeroplane Club moved there: in its first year it was used by 33,000 people. In 1963 the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
was lengthened and in 1965 extensions were made to the terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
. In 1968 a new 5,000 square foot (460 m²) building was constructed. In 1974 the airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
"Court Line
Court Line
Court Line was a prominent British holiday charter airline during the early 1970s based at Luton Airport in Bedfordshire. It also provided bus services in Luton and surrounding areas....
" collapsed, causing a fall in passenger numbers.
By 1980, 17 charter airlines were operating from the airport. Additions in 1984 included an international departure lounge, duty free shops, a 24-hour air-side bar, an arrivals concourse, and a short-term car park. On 1 April 1987 all employees were transferred from Bristol City Council to Bristol Airport Public limited company
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
. The operation and net assets of Bristol Airport were transferred from the City of Bristol and the company commenced trading. Over the next few years business boomed with over 100,000 passengers each month in the summer of 1988. The growth of the airport at this time is attributed to the work of the managing director Les Wilson, who died in a car crash in November 1995.
Bristol International Airport
FirstGroup plc
FirstGroup plc is a public transport company, registered in Scotland at its headquarters in Aberdeen, operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Canada and the United States...
, while the remaining 49% was retained by Bristol City Council. A new terminal building was built in April 1999 and opened in March 2000, and the A38 road
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
was diverted to cater for the installation of a Category 3 instrument landing system
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
. In 2000, passenger numbers exceeded two million for the first time.
The airport was purchased by Macquarie Bank and Cintra
Cintra
Cintra, S.A. is one of the largest private developers of transport infrastructure in the world. Its assets are fundamentally toll roads and car parks, in which it has a total investment of €16billion...
in January 2001 for £198m. Passenger numbers passed through three million in 2002, largely due to the arrival of the low-cost carrier Go Fly
Go Fly
Go Fly was the name of an award-winning British airline. It was purchased by EasyJet.-History:Bob Ayling, ex-chief of British Airways, approached EasyJet's founder, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, to ask whether he could visit claiming that he was fascinated by how the Greek entrepreneur had made the budget...
. Continued expansion by EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
led to another increase in passengers — to 3.8 million. In May 2005, Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
introduced a direct flight from Bristol to Newark
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
with Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
aircraft, which ceased on 7 November 2010. Macquarie's stake was spun off as part of MAp Airports in 2009.
Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport currently does not operate any jetways, so all aircraft have to park on the apron
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
and passengers either walk out to their flights, or are carried by bus. On 28 May 2010, an £8M project finalised with the opening of a 450 metres (1,476.4 ft) walkway, which connects the terminal building to eight new pre-boarding zones. The promise is to "make the airport journey more convenient, easy and enjoyable", and reducing the need for buses to take you to the aircraft.
Proposed expansion
Having created plans for an extension, in October 2007 the airport announced that it would delay the planning application until the middle of 2008 to give it time to complete research on the airport's effect on the environment.This news came just a week after the World Development Movement
World Development Movement
The World Development Movement is a membership organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigns on issues of global justice and development in the Global South....
stated that flights from the airport generate the same amount of CO2
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
as the nation of Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
. Plans for the expansion of the airport have been now completed and are to be submitted to the council for approval in summer 2008.
A coalition to fight the expansion, known as Stop Bristol Airport Expansion has been formed by Bristol Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
, Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)
The Campaign to Protect Rural England is a registered charity with over 60,000 members and supporters. Formed in 1926 by Sir Patrick Abercrombie to limit urban sprawl and ribbon development, the CPRE claims to be one of the...
and other groups and individuals in North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
, Bristol and Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset is a unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 following the abolition of the County of Avon. It is part of the Ceremonial county of Somerset...
.
In early 2008, an opposition to the Stop Bristol Airport Expansion campaign was launched to support the expansion and operations of the airport. Named BISON - Bristol International Supporters Group - it is targeted at the travelling public.
A decision was due on 3 March after a meeting at Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
Town Hall, on 24 May permission was granted by the council. As part of the expansion, planning permission was also granted for a 251-room hotel, which will open in 2012.
2007 resurfacing controversy
On 5 January 2007 many flights were cancelled or diverted, including all EasyJetEasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
and XL Airways flights. This was due to braking action on the runway not being the required standard for safe stopping in wet conditions. Virtually all of the operations were moved to Cardiff Airport by these two airlines. EasyJet moved 60% of its operations to Cardiff during this weekend of disruption.
The problem arose from a new £17 million asphalt runway surface not being sufficiently grooved to allow water run off. Although the new runway was given Civil Aviation Authority clearance on 4 January 2007, there had been a number of incidents over the previous four weeks, with aircraft unable to stop without running over the operating limits of the runway.
A British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
spokeswoman said it would not operate flights if the runway moisture levels were above a certain level, and the airline cancelled several of its flights.
On Sunday 7 January 2007, following further cancellations, Bristol Airport management made the decision to close the runway from 14:30 for work to resolve the problem. The runway remained closed during Monday 8 January. An Air Accidents Investigation Branch
Air Accidents Investigation Branch
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigates air accidents in the United Kingdom. It is a branch of the Department for Transport and is based on the grounds of Farnborough Airport near Aldershot, Rushmoor, Hampshire.-History:...
report, released in January 2009, reported that there were two serious incidents where aircraft left the runway in December 2006. The report highlighted technical faults with the runway surface, and operational problems with the airlines and the airport operator.
Ownership
, the shareholders comprise -- Ontario Teachers' Pension PlanOntario Teachers' Pension PlanThe Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan , commonly referred to as Teachers, is the organization responsible for administering pensions for public school teachers of the Canadian province of Ontario. The OTPP also invests the plan's pension fund, making it one of the largest and most powerful investment...
- 49% - Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 1 - 50% – part of Macquarie GroupMacquarie GroupMacquarie Group Limited is a global investment banking and diversified financial services group, providing banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services to institutional, corporate and retail clients and counterparties around the world...
- MAp Airports (formerly Macquarie Airports) - 1%
Airlines and destinations
Passenger statistics
| Rank | Airport | Passengers handled | % Change 2008 / 09 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - Dublin Dublin Airport Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon... |
287,632 | 9 | |
| 2 | - Edinburgh Edinburgh Airport Edinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements... |
235,196 | 6 | |
| 3 |  Netherlands - Amsterdam |
230,341 | 6 | |
| 4 | - Glasgow International Glasgow Airport Glasgow Airport may refer to:*Glasgow International Airport, in Renfrewshire, the primary airport serving Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.*Glasgow Airport , also known as Wokal Field, in Glasgow, Montana, United States.It may also refer to:... |
212,253 | 4 | |
| 5 |  Spain - AlicanteAlicante Airport Alicante Airport , , originally named El Altet, is the sixth busiest airport in Spain, and the main airport for the Province of Alicante and the Region of Murcia. The airport is situated southwest of Alicante and east of Elche in the municipality of Elche on Mediterranean coast. Up to eighty... |
210,282 | 8 | |
| 6 | - Newcastle Newcastle Airport Newcastle International Airport is located in Woolsington in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport in the United Kingdom.... |
187,022 | 7 | |
| 7 | Spain - Málaga Málaga Airport Málaga Airport , also known as Malaga Costa Del Sol Airport and Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the fourth busiest airport in Spain after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. It is an important airport for Spanish tourism as it is the main international airport serving the Costa Del Sol.... |
184,845 | 9 | |
| 8 | Spain - Palma de Mallorca Palma de Mallorca Airport Palma de Mallorca Airport is an airport located east of Palma, Majorca, adjacent to the village of Can Pastilla. Also known as Son Sant Joan Airport or Aeroport de Son Sant Joan, it is the third largest airport in Spain, after Madrid's Barajas Airport and Barcelona Airport... |
177,433 | 14 | |
| 9 |  France - Paris Charles de Gaulle |
167,739 | 17 | |
| 10 | - Belfast International Belfast International Airport Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with... |
163,459 | 29 | |
| Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority The Civil Aviation Authority is the public corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of aviation in the United Kingdom. The CAA head office is located in the CAA House on Kingsway in Holborn, London Borough of Camden... http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=80&pagetype=88&pageid=3&sglid=3 |
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Runway
Bristol Airport has one runway designated 09/27 which is a well suited runway direction for the UK as the prevailing wind is from the south west. Because of this, runway 27 (the westerly direction) is used the most often, about 70% of the time. The airport has one of the shortest international airport runways in the country at just 2011 metres (6,597.8 ft) in length and runway 27 only having an available landing distance of 1876 metres (6,154.9 ft). Therefore large aircraftAircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
are rarely used due to weight restrictions.
Transport connections
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
, 8 miles (13 km) south of Bristol city centre. The airport is signposted from the M5
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
, from junction 22 when approaching from the south and junction 18 when approaching from the north. Neither gives quick access to the airport, a fact which is recognised by the Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study. A number of solutions have been proposed, including a new link road between the A38 and the A371
A371 road
The A371 is a primary road in England running from Wincanton in Somerset, to Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset.The A371 starts at the A303, then passes Castle Cary, Ansford, Cannard's Grave , Shepton Mallet, Croscombe, Wells, Easton, Somerset, Westbury-sub-Mendip, Rodney Stoke, Draycott, Cheddar,...
but nothing has been approved.
The Bristol International Flyer coach services A1 & A2 operate to and from Bristol calling at Bedminster, Bristol Temple Meads railway station, and Bristol Bus station. Some services continue to Clifton
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
. The service takes 30 minutes from the city centre and can be booked as part of a rail journey, changing between train and bus at Bristol Temple Meads. These are operated by First Group on behalf of Bristol Airport.
A bus service to and from Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
operates every two hours, service number 121. This service is operated by Wessex Connect and Bakers Coaches on behalf of North Somerset Council.
General aviation
Bristol Airport is a general aviationGeneral aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
(GA) centre. In 2006 the GA terminal was relocated from the north side next to the control tower, to a purpose-built facility on the south east corner of the field. There are two GA organisations based at Bristol. All GA handling for visiting aircraft is managed by Bristol Flying Centre, which also provides pilot training
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
and engineering services. Bristol & Wessex Aeroplane Club provides pilot training on both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
Accidents and incidents
On 19 January 1970, Vickers ViscountVickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
G-AMOA of Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways
Cambrian Airways was a Welsh airline based in Cardiff, Wales, which started operations in 1935. It was incorporated into British Airways in 1976.-Company history:...
was damaged beyond economic repair in a heavy landing.
See also
- List of airports in the United Kingdom
- List of aviation topics
- Timeline of aviationTimeline of aviationThis article does not contain direct references or citations but it builds upon other articles in Wikipedia which you can find in the links and in the year by year articles to the left. Those articles have references and citations...