Century of aviation celebrated at Bristol International Airport

19/02/2010

By Jeremy Price.

Aviation enthusiasts will gather at Bristol International Airport today (February 19th) to celebrate 100 years of flying from the city.

Filton Airport was the centre of aircraft production in the UK during World War II after the first flight took off from the base in 1910.

The British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, later the Bristol Aeroplane Company, operated its Boxkite biplane from the airport.

In 2003, the last ever Concorde flight landed at Filton, where the aircraft now remains for preservation.

In celebration of the city's aviation history, a special flight from Bristol International Airport to Filton operated by easyJet will take place today at 10:00 GMT, followed by a series of talks from industry experts.

The event is supported by an exhibition of aviation in the west at Bristol's City Museum and Art Gallery.

Bristol International Airport served some 322,000 travellers in the year leading up to January 2010.