Bristol Airport Reveals Growth Plans

Photo Credit: International Airport Review

Bristol Airport has announced plans to open a new waiting area for taxis and launch free-of-charge drops offs to tackle the problem of congestion on local roads caused by cars waiting to collect in-bound passengers.

The move is in response to complaints from local people about cars and taxis parking on roads around the airport to avoid charges as they wait to collect friends, relatives and customers from flights.

The airport has also submitted long-term plans for a major expansion that will add thousands of new parking spaces at the site.

As part of a long-term goal to increase annual passenger numbers from 10 million to 12 million, and then up to the 20 million by 2050, the airport owners want to add almost 7,000 new spaces by building a multi-story car park, extending the existing silver zone parking, adding a new coach and bus station, taxi ranks and a passenger drop-off zone.

However alternative plans are being put forward by a second group that is proposing to build a park-and-ride facility on land next to the M5 at Weston-super-Mare.

The proposed facility would create 4,000 new parking spaces and take thousands of cars off roads around the airport.

The alternative planning applications are being considered by North Somerset council.