Thursday, January 22, 2009

Airport reveals ambitious plans

Bristol International Airport has revealed expansion plans which it says will create 4,000 new jobs.

The airport has launched its plans on Wednesday which it said would generate more than £340 million a year, with passenger numbers through the airport growing to 10 million per year by 2017.

The phased expansion at Lulsgate will see a bigger terminal, covered walkways to the planes, a new multi-storey car park with a public transport interchange on top, as well as a hotel and office buildings.

New transport links to the airport will take place alongside the development, including improvements to the A38, a new fleet of buses on the Flyer service from Temple Meads, an extension to the Rapid Transit route from Ashton Vale, new bus services to Weston-super-Mare and Bath and a link route around south Bristol.

The airport itself is expecting to see an extra five or six flights per hour between 6am and 11pm.

It hopes to add several long-haul flights to its list of destinations - Cape Town, Singapore, Hong Kong, Atlanta and Chicago are being targeted.