Bristol Airport is poised for its busiest-ever Easter, with more than 420,000 passengers expected to pass through the terminal over the next two weeks.
One of the busiest days will fall on Easter Sunday, when around 30,000 passengers plan to use the airport – continuing last year’s strong recovery.
Bristol Airport has bounced back quicker from the devastating impact of the pandemic than most others in the UK, handling a record 9.8m passengers in 2023 – a 10% increase compared to pre Covid-19 levels in 2019.
The busiest day last year was in late August, when more than 40,000 passengers used the airport over a 24-hour period.
This year’s Easter rush comes as work continues on the airport’s largest capital project for more than two decades – a £60m public transport interchange hub and multi-storey car park.
The project forms part of its overall multi-million pound development plan to increase its capacity from 10m to 12m passengers a year.
The work started last year just months after the High Court’s decision to dismiss a legal challenge from environmental protestors against the airport’s expansion.
Airport bosses said Malaga, Alicante, Faro and Tenerife were due to be the most popular sun destinations this Easter, with Dublin, Edinburgh, Amsterdam and Geneva the top city breaks.
The airport also reminded passengers to arrive at check-in at least a minimum of two hours prior to their scheduled departure time.
It also recommended that all passengers prepare before arriving at security by:
- Having their boarding card ready
- Removing laptop computers and other large electrical devices
- Placing liquids in separate liquids bags
- Emptying their pockets into the trays provided
- Taking off their jacket and/or coat.
If travelling with Easter eggs, passengers are advised to keep them in their cabin baggage and make sure they are easily accessible, as they may need to be opened for a quick check.
