FAQs

To ensure airports like Bristol support their regional economies and keep local stakeholders informed of future intentions, the UK Government advises airports to publish plans for their long-term development. Our draft final Master Plan provides a clear statement of intent for the growth and development of Bristol Airport to 2040, which should be given due consideration in the local planning process. It identifies future infrastructure needs and possible impacts on the natural environment, and gives local authorities and businesses information on which to base their own long-term strategies. Following this consultation, we will consider the views received and publish a final Master Plan in early 2025.

As well as seeking views on our final draft Master Plan, we are setting out draft proposals for the infrastructure and development necessary to increase our capacity to serve more passengers - going beyond our current limit of 12 million passengers per year (mppa) to 15 mppa. Following this consultation, we will develop our proposals and undertake assessments to inform the scope and content of a planning application. This will include an Environmental Statement, Transport Assessment and supporting information which will all be submitted to North Somerset Council for their consideration as the local planning authority. We are aiming to submit our planning application in summer 2025.

Demand for air travel is forecast to rise to 15 million passengers per annum (mppa) by 2036, based on economic growth in our region, and demand from passengers across South Wales and the South- West region. Some of the growth would address the loss of around 10 million passengers from our catchment who currently travel to airports in the South- East of England. Our growth plans would provide more connections and serve new destinations – including a limited number of new longer-haul flights, connecting our region directly with destinations such as North America and the Middle East.

Passenger demand forecasts have informed the identification of the infrastructure required to operate the Airport, including the number of aircraft stands, terminal size, access to the airport, arrangements for public transport, and space for staff and passenger parking. This development requires additional land outside the Airport’s current operational boundary.

While our timeline is subject to further design work and the planning process, we envisage that the earliest construction could start would be 2027. Given the scale of development, the overall delivery programme is expected to take place over a period of seven years during which there will be periods of construction activity and others with no activity.

More than 1,200 responses were received to the initial consultation that informed the Master Plan (proposals for the development of the Airport to 12 mppa) undertaken between May and July 2018. Topics ranged from car parking to carbon emissions. These comments were taken on board and, where appropriate, measures and mitigation were included within our planning application outlining development for 12 mppa. They have also informed draft Master Plan and pre-application proposals for development to accommodate 15 mppa. A summary of feedback topics and how these have helped shaped our proposals are included in the ‘Bristol Airport Vision for 2040: Consultation 2024’ document.

Work is ongoing at the Airport to transform the terminal, develop our public transport interchange and provide car parking, to accommodate a rise in passenger numbers to 12mppa. However, by 2027/28, passenger forecasts are set to exceed the consented 12 mppa. Our region’s economic growth, paired with demand from passengers across South Wales and the South West, means that by 2036 we are likely to see growth to around 15 mppa. It is therefore vital to bring forward additional development proposals now that can accommodate this regional need.

Changes in Operation: An increase in passenger numbers from the consented 12 mppa to 15 mppa, with an increase in aircraft movements from 85,990 to 100,000 per year. On a busy day in the peak period, this would result in an additional 35 aircraft movements.

Terminal extension: A larger terminal building, with improved walkways directly serving aircraft to reduce the need for airside passenger bus services.

Airside: New taxiways, apron extensions and additional aircraft stands. A short extension of the runway will enable longer-range aircraft, serving a limited number of long-haul destinations, and more efficient short-haul flights – which will continue to be the majority of flights for the foreseeable future.

Transport: Capacity improvements on the A38 and improvements to public transport connections to the Airport.

Parking provision: Increased car parking provision to the north and south of the Airport.

No, there are no proposals for another runway. We are proposing to lengthen the existing runway by around 150 metres. This is similar in size to the length of one and a half standard football pitches. It will be built within the Airport boundary, in the space between the existing runway and the A38. This would improve the efficiency of aircraft currently flying from the Airport, and meet the needs of aircraft for new long-haul routes.

The benefits to local communities, businesses and people are a central consideration for our future plans. Expanding our capacity would enable us to connect you to new destinations as well as offer more frequent flights to your favourites. The Airport’s growth would create up to 1,000 new jobs on-site, a significant proportion of which would be for local people in south Bristol, Weston-Super-Mare and rural communities. The Airport’s growth would also mean increased tourism and productivity for the region – representing around 7,000 jobs regionally, including jobs in the Airport’s supply chain, tourism and hospitality.

Find out more about our proposals:
You can find out more information on our plans and proposals here, and view these visually on our interactive map here.

Have your say:
When you are ready to give us your views, please head to our feedback form here.

Talk to us:
If you would like to discuss your questions with the project team, come along to one of our drop in events - details of which are here.

The deadline for consultation feedback is Friday 31 January at 11.59pm.

We are currently working with North Somerset Council to improve access to Bristol Airport and the flow of the surrounding road network, as well as providing a range of public transport improvements. Our proposals include these access improvements:

• Alterations to the main, northern roundabout, which provides access to the Airport from the A38. The new, signal-controlled roundabout layout would include wider lanes and bus priority lanes.
• The southern roundabout would also be upgraded as part of our plans. The roundabout would include priority bus lanes and increased capacity for vehicles. A fourth arm would provide dedicated access into a new staff car parking area and rental car return. Widened lanes would improve access the Silver Zone parking area.
• We are assessing the need for an additional southbound bus lane to provide a fast and more resilient shuttle service between the southern car parks and the Airport terminal. A shared pedestrian and cycle link is also being considered.

You can find out more about Bristol Airport’s access improvements on our Plans and proposals page and in the consultation document.

We have already made a major investment in a new Public Transport Interchange, which is currently under construction, to enable a greater number of buses and coaches to serve the airport.

As part of our recent planning permission to serve 12 million passengers each year, we have committed to increasing the percentage of journeys to and from the Airport made by public transport to 17.5%. By the time we reach 12 mppa, we are also aiming for 30% of staff journeys to work to be via sustainable modes of transport.

We will be introducing new targets and measures to reduce the proportion of car trips made to the Airport. This is likely to include provision of new bus and coach links, as well as increased frequency of services to link up with our new Public Transport Interchange.

We understand concerns about unauthorised off-site parking and are working to reduce these impacts on local communities.

We are investing in significant on-site parking improvements, and have introduced parking restrictions on and around the A38. Parking capacity on-site has increased and we are currently building a new multistorey car park. This will include a new and much improved drop-off zone. The existing drop-off area will close, with the new facility opening in 2025.

The new facility will include a drop-off and pick-up zone on the top floor, which will provide a direct pedestrian link to the terminal building. A third multistorey car park is planned for completion in 2028.

We recognise, however, that we cannot tackle this problem alone and so we have funded a parking enforcement officer employed by North Somerset Council. We are working hard with the Council as an enforcer of unauthorised off-road parking and with the police to discuss measures to tackle nuisance and illegal parking.

An increase in passenger numbers from the consented 12 mppa to 15 mppa will see an increase in aircraft movements from 85,990 to 100,000 per year. On a busy day in the peak period this would result in an additional 35 aircraft movements.

While restrictions on night flying would remain in place, we are proposing an increase to the number of night flights by 1,000 to support passenger demand and forecast growth (this equates to an average increase of four flights per night on a busy night in the peak period). The vast majority of these flights would be arrivals between 11.30pm and 2.00am. However, aircraft are improving all the time and we expect newer models to be much quieter and more energy efficient that currently (see below).

Not necessarily. The runway extension would accommodate the new A321 NEO-XLR (a plane which has recently entered service) which is similar in size to aircraft used by airlines, such as easyJet at Bristol Airport for short-haul flights, but has a much greater range.

Unlike traditional widebody aircraft (e.g. B747, B777, A380), the A321 NEO-XLR is appropriate for the runway size and market of Bristol Airport, opening up the possibility of more long-haul direct connections.

The A321 NEO-XLR would also be more fuel efficient and reduce flight noise when compared to the previous generation of aircraft. It is possible that airline partners may wish to use larger aircraft to reach longer haul destinations such as Dubai – however, we would expect these aircraft to be new generation aircraft such as the 787, A350 or A330 Neo which are more efficient and quieter than previous generation widebody aircraft.

Yes. Today, we enable more than 10 million passengers to travel to around 115 destinations every year. This forecast is to grow to around 15 million passengers by 2040. To meet this rising demand, it is essential that we look to the future now to ensure that any expansion plans meet the needs of our customers, businesses, and local people. Expanding our capacity would allow us to connect you to new destinations, such as east coast America and the Middle East, as well as more frequent flights to your favourite destinations.

Climate change is a real and significant threat to our planet, and therefore all forms of transport, including aviation, will have to continue to decarbonise if we want to continue to reap the numerous rewards of air travel. Bristol Airport is a leader amongst UK regional airports in cutting emissions from airport operations, reducing emissions from surface access as far as possible, and working with aviation partners to decarbonise flight. Our Sustainability Strategy sets out our goals and targets to cut emissions from our operations.

We have committed to investing over £30m in measures to reduce our emissions, including the replacement of airside and landside buses to zero emissions vehicles, the installation of a solar array alongside the runway and solar panels on our buildings to provide on-site renewable electricity, and the replacement of gas heating in the terminal with air source heat pumps. For more information on our progress to date and future milestones, please find our Journey to Net Zero timeline here.

We recognise that there will be concerns about the carbon emissions resulting from Airport growth and the implications for climate change. We are bringing forward proposals for what we consider to be responsible growth that is both within the current UK carbon budgets required to meet net zero emissions by 2050, and with measures to achieve net zero airport operations by 2030. As we develop our proposals we will update our Sustainability Strategy to identify additional actions to keep us on track with our commitments.

The UK Government has introduced a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate. This stipulates that from 2025, SAF must constitute 2% of the total jet fuel supplied in the UK, with the target increasing to 10% in 2040 and 22% in 2040. Similar mandatory targets are being introduced in the European Union.

SAF will have to be used across the aviation network – but it will not be evenly spread across each airport and route. Bristol Airport is currently assessing the most effective way to support the uptake of SAF, including the potential for increasing the supply of SAF through production facilities located in the West of England.

In 2022, Airbus announced plans to make a hydrogen-powered aircraft commercially available by 2035. This technology will require new ground infrastructure, storage and regulation. We have been at the forefront of understanding these requirements in the UK, working in partnership with easyJet and major aerospace companies.

This is a rapidly advancing area, and we will need to bring forward more detailed plans once the technology is closer to commercial use. At this stage, while we have made an indicative provision for hydrogen infrastructure within our Master Plan, but the level of detail needed to include proposals within a planning application is not currently available.

Where possible, the proposed development has sought to limit impact of development associated with growth to 15 mppa by focusing further development of the terminal and airport operations on the northside of the Airport in areas outside the Green Belt designation and where the openness of the Green Belt would be least affected. However, the development proposed would require the release of additional land from the Green Belt to extend the apron, and accommodate the fuel farm and aviation-related buildings and to meet the demand for additional parking.

Where possible, the scheme is being designed to avoid or reduce adverse effects on valued ecological features and deliver benefits for biodiversity in accordance with policy and best practice. Overall, our proposals will be required to deliver a minimum of 10% biodiversity net gain through landscaping and habitat creation proposals and the management of retained and proposed habitat areas. These measures will be included in a Landscape and Biodiversity Management Plan to be submitted as part of the planning application.

The main source of noise is from flights into and out of Bristol Airport. An increase in passengers from 12 mppa to 15 mppa would result in an increase in aircraft movements from 85,990 to 100,000 per year. On a busy day in peak period this would result in 35 extra aircraft movements. While night flying restrictions would remain, we are proposing to increase night flights by 1,000 (on average, four per night on a busy night in the peak period). The vast majority would arrive between 23:30 and 02:00.

Noise consultants have been commissioned to determine the change in noise levels that would be experienced by local communities with or without the proposals.

The results of the preliminary noise assessment forecasts that the area affected by noise will decrease over time. This is due to the increase in the proportion of modernised ‘new generation’ aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX 8 which by 2036 will comprise around 75% of air traffic movements. However, there are limited areas where noise levels are predicted to be above levels considered to be significant as defined in national noise policy. We will continue to manage the effects of aircraft noise through operational procedures, limits and controls. Households likely to experience significant effects from aircraft noise will be eligible for grant funding for noise insulation.

You can find more information about noise impacts and mitigation in the consultation document.

An increase in passengers from 12 mppa to 15 mppa would result in an increase in aircraft movements from 85,990 to 100,000 per year. While night flying restrictions would remain, we are proposing to increase night flights by 1,000 (on average, an additional four movements per night on a busy night in the peak period). The vast majority would arrive between 23:30 and 02:00.

The increase in night flights would meet passenger demand and reflect the operating model for the low cost carriers who can move each aircraft on up to three daily rotations requiring some earlier starts and later finishes. Meeting these needs supports, in turn, the forecasted future growth and subsequent benefits for the airport and the region.

We recognise that the noise impacts associated with night-flights has the potential to disturb nearby communities and that this has to be carefully balanced with the significant social and economic benefits that the Airport brings to the region. We consider that the proposed increase in night-flights, which would represent 5% of the total proposed air traffic movements, is comparable to night flight restrictions at other airports that are located in densely populated areas of the country.

We recognise the potential for our existing operations and proposals to disturb nearby communities. To manage and reduce noise we have a range of control measures, set out in our Noise Action Plan, including:

• Operational procedures that reduce aircraft noise including approach procedures and the use of Noise Preferential Routes which must be followed by all departing aircraft;
• Controls on air traffic movements (absolute limits on air traffic movements, limits on night-time flights between 23:30 hours and 06:00 hours, and limits on flights during the ‘shoulder periods’ of 06:00 hours and 07:00 hours and between 23:00 hours and 23:30 hours);
• Night-time ‘quota counts’ that require a minimum proportion of quieter aircraft types to operate at night; and
• Constraints on movements within defined noise contours.

Aircraft movements are continually tracked using noise and track monitoring software to monitor compliance with operational procedures to abate noise. Aircraft noise is continually monitored using monitors at each end of the runway, and near Felton, Winford and Congresbury. These monitor compliance with absolute noise limits. Penalties apply to airlines that breach absolute noise limits and/or fail to comply with the prescribed Noise Preferential Routes.

Bristol Airport is critical to our region’s economy and we want to further support its growth. By connecting our region to more than 115 destinations, we boost productivity, support businesses, and enable inbound tourism. The Airport currently contributes around £2 billion of Gross Value Added to the South West and South Wales economy. By serving 15 million passengers per year, Bristol Airport would increase its economic contribution by a third to £3 billion. In North Somerset alone, this contribution would be worth £720m. We will be revising our Skills and Employment Plan to ensure that local people have the skills and opportunities to work at Bristol Airport, both during construction and when operation as a larger business.

We’re a proud employer of local people, and currently, the Airport provides around 5,000 jobs onsite. The delivery of our Master Plan would support an estimated additional 1,000 jobs at the Airport, primarily for local people, including areas such as the southern fringes of Bristol, Weston-super-Mare and rural communities in the area. Overall, the delivery of this Master Plan would support around 37,000 jobs (through direct, indirect, supply chain and inbound tourism) across the South- West and South Wales.

We want to act as a positive force for good in the region, and take pride in investing in the community around us. To that end, we have setup a range of initiatives to balance and reduce the effects of the Airport for local people and wildlife; support communities; and boost education and skills in the area. This includes our Community Fund, Noise Insulation Scheme, Diamond Fund, and investment into education and skills. Find out more about this on our Community Page: https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/corporate/community/local-community-fund/