Regional Airports 'have Given Passengers More Choice'

Passengers are more inclined to use regional airports, such as Bristol, because of the increasing number of international flights these hubs offer, an industry expert has said.

Figures published by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) last year showed that annual passengers at UK airports exceeded 100 million for the first time during 2007 and that vast numbers were now using regional airports.

In particular, the CAA figures indicated that passenger numbers at Bristol International Airport had risen from 0.8 million per year in 1990 to 5.7 million in 2006.

Now, Tony Hallwood, aviation development director at the south-western hub, has said that he believes that more routes will mean that even more people will use regional airports in the coming years.

"Destination choice has been the driver behind regional airport growth," he explained.

"Given the choice between a direct flight from their regional airport and a journey by road or rail to travel from an overcrowded and congested London airport, most travellers will take the local option."

Mr Hallwood said that passengers liked the fact that they could choose from both low-cost and full-service carriers "such as Lufthansa, Air France, Continental and KLM" at the airport.

Recently, Ryanair launched new routes to Batislava, Budapest, Derry, Dinard, Katowice, Knock, Milan, Porto, Poznan, Riga, Rzeszow and Wroclaw from Bristol International Airport.

This article was brought to you by Park and Go providers of Bristol Airport Parking

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