Please find below a brief history of Bristol Airport which we hope that you will find useful. If you wish to make a booking for Bristol Airport Parking please select the dates you wish to park and click "Find a Space". Then choose from the list of car parks the best option for you. For further assistance please call 08700 27 22 23.
Here are some of the key dates in the History of Bristol Airport.
1927 - £6,000 subscriptions to open a flying club at Filton Aerodrome
1929 - Club Achieved great success
1930 - 1939 Third civil airport in the country
1956 - 1957 New airport was opened by The Duchess of Kent
1963 - 1968 Made some extensions to the airport terminal
1980 - 1984 17 tour operators flying from Bristol and many improvements at the Bristol airport.
1987 - 1988 Bristol airport business boomed with over 100,000 passengers
1989 - Operators increased their flight schedules
1992 - 1993 Bristol`s best achievement
1997 - Relaunch of Bristol Airport to Bristol International
1999 - Started it`s first direct trans-atlantic flights
2001 - 2002 The Bristol International Airport became a fastest growing airport in the UK
2003 - The passenger numbers increased to 3.8million
2004 - OGA Worldwide Marketing Award and nominated as Best `UK Airport 2004` in Travel Weekly`s category
2005 - Direct flight from Bristol to Newark
2007 - Bristol International became the 9th busiest airport in UK
Below you will find more information of each on the key dates in the history of Bristol Airport from the timeline above.
1927 - In 1927 a group of business men raised £6,000 through subscriptions to open a flying club at Filton Aerodrome, which would later become the birthplace of Concorde.
1929 - In 1929 the club achieved great success and these business men decided to develop a fully-fledged airport for Bristol. An area of farm land at Whitchurch was brought, and this was developed into the new airport.
1930 - In 1930 the airport was officially opened by HRH Prince George, during this period Bristol was only the third civil airport in the country. In 1939 the passenger numbers increased from 935 to over 4,000. The airport was well used by Winston Churchill and Amy Johnson amongst other statesmen, film stars and spies.
1956 - In 1956 the airport was de-requisitioned and the Airport Commission purchased a site Lulsgate Bottom for £55,000. The new airport was opened by The Duchess of Kent in 1957, which had been used as an RAF base for the previous 10 years. For the first year of operation 33,000 passengers traveled through the airport
1963 - In 1963 lengthened the runway and in 1965 made some extensions to the terminal.In 1968 constructed a new 5,000sqft building.
1980 - By 1980, 17 tour operators were flying from Bristol. In 1984 saw many improvements at the airport. They build a new International Departure Lounge, large range of duty free shops, with a 24-hour air-side bar, arrival facilities at airport concourse, and a short-term car park.
1987 - In 1987 they transferred all employees from Bristol City council to Bristol Airport plc and the company started trading. A number of improvements made to the terminal and business is boomed with over 100,000 passengers in 1988.
1989 - In 1989 the passenger numbers passed through Bristol Airport increased to 31% and 34,345 passengers used Bristol airport. Several operators increased their flight schedules, including Aer lingus, Lufthansa and NLM. In November Brymon Airways started three times a day flight to Glasgow and daily flight to Edinburgh.
1992 - Bristol airport reports more destinations available from airport and increase in passenger numbers. In 1992-1993 a million travelers passed through the airport, its Bristol's best achievement.
1997 - In 1997 relaunch of Bristol Airport to Bristol International. In December, First Group brought 51% of the airport from Bristol City Council.
1999 - In 1999 a new terminal was built and opened in 2000 and also started it`s first direct trans-atlantic flights to Toronto with Royal Airlines and for the first time the passenger numbers exceeded to 2 million.
2001 - In 2001 Macquarie and Cintra acquired the Airport property for £198m. In 2002 the Bristol International Airport became a fastest growing airport in the UK, with passenger numbers up by 44.5%.
2003 - In a 12month period the Bristol International Airpot passenger numbers increased to 3million. In 2003 the passenger numbers increased to 3.8m with many new UK and European routes began.
2004 - In September 2004 the Bristol International Airport was awarded the OGA Worldwide Marketing Award and nominated as Best `UK Airport 2004` in Travel Weekly`s category. This is the only Airport in South West England, Wales and the Midlands received a National Parking Security award for having a `Secured Car Park`.
2005 - In 2005 Continental Airlines introduced a direct flight from Bristol to Newark with Boeing 757 aircraft.
2007 - In 2007 Bristol International became the 9th busiest airport in UK and manageing 5,926,774 passengers and having 76,428 air transport movements