Bristol Airport has embarked on an investment programme of more than £400m to upgrade the customer experience. Dave Lees, chief executive officer at Bristol Airport, explains the exciting improvements ahead.
“Over the next five years significant enhancements are coming to all aspects of the customer journey at Bristol Airport,” he said. “As part of the long-awaited planning permission to enable the Airport to grow to 12 million passengers per annum, the customer is now going to be rewarded with an improved journey including more space being added to the terminal, new technology being employed and some key changes being made to how customers arrive and depart from the Airport.
“These developments have already commenced with the biggest change to security in over a decade. New security baggage and body scanners were installed over the summer, which has eased the experience as passengers no longer have to remove liquids or electrical items such as laptops from their hand luggage. The feedback from travellers has been overwhelmingly positive, although remember not all airports have invested in this new technology, so you may not benefit from the same improvements on your return journey, even if you’re arriving back into another UK airport.”
Over the past six months the airport has also commenced its single largest ever scheme which will transform arriving and departing for every customer.
Mr Lees continued: “For those of you who have been travelling recently, you may have noticed the large development works taking place opposite the terminal building. This is the location for our new flagship scheme which includes a new enlarged public transport area, a drop and go section for private cars and a new multi storey car park.
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“From next summer all passengers will be able to enjoy an undercover walk to and from all these new facilities without crossing a road. The Public Transport Interchange will also have enlarged under cover waiting facilities for our growing number of bus and coach routes, as well as our on-site Silver Zone parking area.
“The large construction site has been actively re-using stone and materials, and so far, 100,000 tonnes of stone has been crushed and re-used. More than 90% of wood, metal and other materials are separated and recycled, and no soil or stone has been removed from site, therefore minimising the impact on our neighbours. The scheme has been designed to improve our customers’ experience, ease congestion and improve traffic flow.”
Looking ahead to 2025, the airport will also be embarking on transforming the experience for customers inside the terminal.
“In total we will be increasing the size of the terminal by 70% with a focus on improving the offer in the departure lounge,” Mr Lees said. “There will be a range of casual dining options including more restaurants as well as increasing the size of our lounges for those wanting a quieter location to relax. In addition, over the next three years as part of the terminal improvements, we will also be substantially increasing the immigration area, baggage reclaim hall and the number of baggage reclaim units.
“As we’ve been redeveloping the airport, we are also progressing a wide range of improvements with sustainability in mind. Our new Public Transport Interchange is key to that, as we can increase the number of public transport services and frequency, making it one of our region’s largest hubs.
“Enabling customers to travel to the Airport using public transport is important. We’ve seen a 147% increase in the number of customers using our Flyer bus services and in the last year there have been 217,000 free staff journeys to work. Anyone who works at the Airport or for any of our business partners is entitled to this.”
Bristol Airport’s landside buses all run on Hydrated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel, which is produced from vegetable oil and animal fats. Last year the airport successfully ran its first bus on HVO and since then it has been gradually converting all buses.
Mr Lees said: “We now have our own HVO tank based at the Airport, which has enabled a site-wide introduction of HVO on a much greater scale. Now 11 buses run on HVO with the remaining two landside buses being electric.
“A direct result of this important change means that emissions from Bristol Airport owned vehicles have been reduced by approximately 50% in the last year. This equates to saving 400 tonnes of CO2e which is equivalent to the annual emissions of approximately 250 passenger vehicles, or a single passenger flying over 2,100,000 miles.
“Additionally, our 1.5 MWh solar farm, which was installed last year on the south side of the runway, has generated 1,200,000 kWh this year, which is enough energy to power 410 average homes in the UK for a year or enable one of our electric cars to travel 4,000,000 miles.
“At Bristol Airport there are more than 5,000 people working for us and our business partners, which include the likes of easyJet, DHL and the numerous retailers based at the terminal.
“Keeping it local is something we really strive to do, so when we appoint contractors, they have to demonstrate they are committed to providing training and helping people back into work. We’re also on a mission to employ our own apprentices and this new term saw 13 apprentices working with us to gain Level 3 and Level 6 qualifications in engineering and motor transport as well as a business analysis diploma in IT.
“On top of this, we work in conjunction with North Somerset Council as part of our skills and employment programme, targeting support for underrepresented groups, those living in deprived areas including Weston-super-Mare and South Bristol, and addressing barriers to work.
“We actively engage with local schools through to universities to provide work experience placements. Additionally, we work with Weston College SEND centre of excellence to provide accessible placements as part of our work experience commitment. So far this year, my colleagues here have visited five primary schools, three secondary schools, three sixth forms, nine colleges and two SEND schools and attended three career discussion panels with young adults aged between 18-21.
This latest development at Bristol Airport – to meet demand for air travel and improve the experience – is bringing about a significant boost to the local economy, from employment opportunities to supporting the local companies.
“The enhancements we’re making will also be welcomed by international tourists who use the Airport to explore the west and South Wales, visiting attractions and attending events – all of which is vital to those working in the tourism and hospitality sectors.”
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