Bristol International Airport (BRS)

About Bristol International Airport

Bristol International Airport is located 8 miles south of Bristol City centre, Bristol International Airport serves the city of Bristol and the surrounding area and is currently the 9th busiest airport in the UK. In 2006 more than 5.7 million passengers passed through the airport.

Parking at the Airport

There are several parking options available at Bristol International Airport suited to the passengers various needs. The Rapid Pick Up Car Park is recommended for collecting or dropping off friends and family. The car park is located adjacent to the terminal and has a covered walkway connecting the two. Stops of up to 10 minutes are free. The Short Stay Car Park is located close to the terminal. It is just a short walk away and is ideal for anyone parking for up to 24 hours.
The following parking options can all be pre-booked for great savings on the normal gate prices. The Premier Car Park is located nearest to the terminal, which is just a short walk away. This premium car park is ideal for travellers who require greater speed and convenience when parking.
The Long Stay Car Park is one of two long stay options and is the closer of the two to the terminal. It is suitable for stays of more than 1 day. A courtesy bus transfers passengers to the terminal in about 3 – 4 minutes. Alternatively, the Silver Zone Car Park is recommended for stays of over 4 days. It offers the cheapest on-site parking at the airport. A courtesy bus transfers passengers to the terminal from this car park in about 5 – 6 minutes.

Facilities and Services

Bristol International Airport has services to more than 40 international scheduled and charter destinations. The passenger terminal has three levels. The ground floor is used for arrivals and check-in, the first floor is used for departures and the Mezzanine is used for passenger and visitor leisure with both an airside and landside area. Passenger facilities include airport information; baby change facilities; Business Lounge; car hire; cash machines; currency exchange; postal services; telephones; trolleys; WiFi Internet access and facilities for passengers requiring special assistance.
The terminal building also offers a good range of high street retail and catering outlets including Starbucks, Subway, Superdrug and WH Smith.
Bristol International Airport has two Executive Business Lounges. One is for the sole use of certain British Airways customers. However, the Servisair Executive Lounge is available to business and leisure passengers for a small fee. The lounge offers fax, telephones and WiFi Internet access to assist the business traveller or passengers may just like to unwind with a choice of complimentary drinks and snacks in a quiet and relaxing environment.

Getting To The Airport

By car - Bristol International Airport is situated on the A38 just 8 miles south of Bristol City Centre. If travelling from the south on the M5, exit at junction 22 and take the A38 north towards Bristol. After about 17 miles you will find the airport on your left. If travelling from the north on the M5, exit at junction 18 and take the A4 towards Bristol following signs for the airport. Then take the A38 towards Taunton. You will find the airport on your right after about 6 miles.
By rail - the nearest station to Bristol International Airport is Bristol Temple Meads. The Bristol International Flyer Express coach service connects travellers to the airport every 15 minutes at peak times. Combined rail and Bristol Flyer tickets to the airport are available to purchase.
By bus/coach - National Express coach services operate long distance coach services from destinations across the South West and South Wales regions to Bristol Bus Station. From there you can connect to the Bristol Flyer. National Express’s London to Penzance overnight service 404/406 now stops at Bristol International Airport. It stops outside the terminal each night at 02:15 and 02:30. From Weston-super-Mare, First runs an hourly bus service to Bristol International Airport, calling at local stops along the way. Service 121 runs every hour from approximately 09.00 to 17.00 on Monday to Saturday. On Sundays and Bank Holidays, service 821 runs every two hours between 09.00 and 17.00.

History of Bristol Airport

In 1927 a group of local businessmen raised 6,000 through public subscriptions to start a flying club at Filton Aerodrome, which would later become the birthplace of Concorde. By 1929 the club had attracted so much interest that they decided to develop a fully-fledged airport for Bristol. An area of farmland at Whitchurch was bought and construction of the airport began.

In 1930 Whitchurch Airport was opened by HRH, Prince George. At this time it was only the third civil airport in the country. The airport developed slowly with passenger numbers of 935 in 1930 increasing to 4,000 by 1939. The airport was requisitioned by the Air Ministry in 1939 but civil flights remained in operation and Whitchurch had the distinction of being the only civil airport in operation in the U.K during the war.

After the war it was decided that Whitchurch could not be developed any further as it was not possible to extend the runway. In 1955 Lulsgate Bottom Airfield was purchased by the Bristol Corporation to be Bristol’s new airport and it was named as Bristol (Lulsgate) Airport. The Duchess of Kent officially opened the new airport in 1957.

In 1963 the airport’s runway was lengthened and extensions were made to the terminal building two years later. The economic recession of the early 1970’s saw passenger numbers fall at Bristol as it did at all of the UK’s airports.

In 1984 several improvements were made at the airport including a new Instrument Landing System and improved catering and shopping facilities in the terminal. In April 1987 the operation and net assets of Bristol Airport were transferred from Bristol City Council to Bristol Airport plc and a newly refurbished and extended check-in concourse was opened by HRH, The Princess Royal.

In the early 1990’s the airport continued to attract record numbers of passengers, with more destinations becoming available and during the 1992/93 period the total of people passing through reached one million. In 1997 Bristol Airport was renamed Bristol International Airport. FirstGroup invested £32 million in the development of the airport. At the start of the new millennium, annual passenger figures reached 2 million.

In February 2002 Bristol International Airport became the fastest growing airport in the UK and in August it announced that it had handled 3 million passengers in a twelve-month period for the first time. By the end of 2003 passenger numbers increased to 3.8 million with many new UK and European routes being introduced. In 2005 the airport celebrated its 75th anniversary and a £7 million retail investment program to double the airport’s shopping area was announced, which was completed in June 2006.