THIS INFORMATION WAS CORRECT AS OF JANUARY 2010:

Bristol_airport_overviewFlying is an increasingly controversial subject, with hardly a week going by without the environmental impact of aviation being debated in the media. But the aviation industry is working hard to control and mitigate its impacts, and flying also brings benefits – from the ability to do business internationally to the enjoyment of new and exciting landscapes and cultures.

So, what are the facts you should know when you check in at Bristol Airport?

Economic facts

  • Over 2,800 people are employed at Bristol Airport
  • Fifty different businesses operate on the airport site
  • Passengers flying from Bristol Airport contributed an estimated £31 million in Air Passenger Duty to the Exchequer in 2007
  • A recent survey by respected economists from the University of the West of England concluded that “without expansion of Bristol Airport, it is more likely the world’s top global companies will be disinclined to locate in the South West”

Environment facts

  • Bristol Airport’s CO2 emissions are less than one per cent of the total for the South West region
  • Aviation as a whole contributes less than two per cent of global greenhouse emissions
  • Aviation is responsible for only 12 per cent of CO2 emissions from all forms of transport
  • Modern aircraft are 70 per cent more fuel efficient than 40 years ago, and easyJet’s eleven based aircraft are part of the youngest airline fleet in Europe
  • The average number of passengers on flights using Bristol Airport has risen from 87 in 2004 to 101 in 2007, demonstrating more efficient airline operations

Inbound tourism facts

  • The UK’s inbound tourism industry contributes £14bn to the UK economy each year and employs over 300,000 people
  • Visitors to Bristol spend £750 million per year in the city
  • Since the service launched in May 2005, over 50 per cent of passengers on Continental Airlines’ daily flight between Bristol and New York have originated in the US
  • Bristol Airport and the airlines operating at the airport work closely with bodies such as Destination Bristol, Bath Tourism Plus and South West Tourism to promote the region overseas (for example, Bristol Airport supported Destination Bristol at the New York Times Travel Show in February 2008)

Community facts

  • The noise footprint of Bristol Airport is forecast to be no greater at 9 million passengers per annum than it was in 2004
  • The number of night flights in summer 2007 was the lowest recorded in 10 years
  • Bristol Airport has one of the smallest noise footprints of any airport of comparable size in the UK
  • 286 local houses have been given noise insulation grants at a cost of £750,000
  • Over 100 school visits take place at Bristol Airport every year
  • Staff at Bristol Airport have raised more than £75,000 for the Children’s Hospice South West, and have chosen the Grand Appeal (raising money for Bristol Children’s Hospital) as their charity of the year in 2008
  • Bristol Airport works with Young Enterprise South West, helping to make a real difference to the existing lives and future potential of young people in the region
  • Bristol Airport provides financial support to the Bristol-Bordeaux Exchange, forging educational and cultural links between the twin cities.