Phase two of Bristol Airport’s £24m terminal extension opened to passengers on Saturday 29 July, bringing the number of new security lanes in operation to ten.
The 9,000 square metre structure features state-of-the-art technology in a significantly enlarged security search area and forms part of development plans which will enable 10 million passengers a year to use the Airport. Work continues on a dedicated Fast Track zone which will go live later this year, along with an expanded baggage reclaim and arrivals ‘meet and greet’ area.
Completion of the terminal extension will then enable immigration facilities to be enlarged, with plans being progressed to enhance facilities by spring 2017. This will include the introduction of faster new ePassport gates featuring the latest technology to speed processing times, taking the total number of passport control points from 10 to 17.
In the meantime, arriving passengers can help keep time spent at the border to a minimum by having passports open to the photograph page and removing hats and sunglasses in advance of inspection, with families encouraged to go through the border together.
The route network available from Bristol Airport is also growing, with direct services to 117 destinations and frequent daily services to major hubs including Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin and Frankfurt, as well as a recently launched WOW air service to Reykjavik offering onward connections to North America. From May 2017, Thomson Airways will operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Florida and Mexico, highlighting the scope for more direct long-haul destinations in future.