Bristol to New York flights could resume as Dave Lees reveals target list of destinations

Dave Lees, the boss of Bristol Airport has revealed hopes of relaunching a direct route to New York in the near future. It has been more than a decade since the last direct flight bound for the Big Apple left the runway at Bristol, headed for Newark Liberty Airport near the Statue of Liberty.

The route between the airports ran from 2005 until November 2010, when operational losses partly blamed on the recession and rising taxes led to it being scrapped by operator Continental Airlines. However, BusinessLive reports that the airport’s chief executive David Lees hopes New York will be back on the departure board by 2026.

Speaking during an exclusive interview with the site, he said: “We have plans to launch new routes reflecting where people want to go, including New York which we did previously have a route and it is on my target list.

He described it as a “key location” that passengers in the region fly to, adding: “It’s not about stimulating new demand – it’s about catering for existing demand.” According to Dave Lees the airport is also considering launching new routes to Dubai, and to Istanbul in Turkey.

Thanks to Bristol.Live for their help with this article