| Bristol International Airport |
Article Index for Bristol |
Website Links For Bristol International |
Information AboutBristol International Airport |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | |
| airports in england | |
| transport in bristol | |
Bristol International Airport is the main commercial Airport serving the city of Bristol and the surrounding area in England , UK . HISTORY In 1927 a group of local Businessmen raised £6,000 through public subscription to inaugurate a flying club at Filton Aerodrome . 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 , HRH Prince George opened Bristol Airport — becoming the third such airport in Britain . Passenger numbers grew from 935 in 1930 to over 4,000 in 1939 . During World War II , Bristol 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 were dispersed to Whitchurch from Croydon and Gatwick Airport s. They operated on routes to Lisbon , Portugal and to some other neutral nations. There were also flights of a clandestine nature. In 1955 a new airport was built at Lulsgate Bottom Airfield — formerly an RAF base, operating in peacetime as a glider station. The new airport was called Bristol Lulsgate Airport. The new airport was opened in 1957 by the Duchess Of Kent . In its first year 33,000 people used the airport. In 1963 the Runway was lengthened and in 1965 extensions were made to the Terminal — all due to rapid expansion. In 1968 a new 5,000 square foot (460 m²) building was constructed — again as the airport expanded. In 1974 the Airline " Court Line " collapsed, causing a fall in passenger numbers. By 1980 17 Charter airlines were operating from the airport. In 1984 major changes were made, with the addition of an international departure lounge, Duty Free shops, a 24-hour airside bar, an arrivals concourse, a short-term car park and more. On the 1 April 1987 all employees were transferred from Bristol City Council to Bristol Airport plc. 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 . In 1996 Bristol Airport was sold by Bristol City Council. In March 1997 its name was changed from Bristol Airport to Bristol International Airport. In December 1997 51% of the airport was sold to FirstGroup , while the remaining 49% stayed with Bristol City Council. A new terminal building was built in April 1999 and opened in March 2000 . In 2000 , passenger numbers exceeded two million for the first time. The airport was bought by Macquarie Bank and Cintra in January 2001 for £198m. Passenger numbers broke the three million mark in 2002 , largely due to the arrival of the low-cost carrier Go Fly . Continued expansion by Easyjet and Ryanair led to another increase in passengers — to 3.8 million. In May 2005 , Continental Airlines introduced direct flights from Bristol to New York . Controversy surrounds the proposed expansion of the airport. A coalition to fight the expansion has been formed by Bristol Friends of the Earth, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and other groups and individuals in North Somerset, Bristol and BANES. The coalition has a website {Link without Title} . AIRLINES & DESTINATIONS
SEE ALSO
EXTERNAL LINK |
|
|