Bristol Airport (BRS), the regional airport serving the South West of England and Wales, has announced it will be renovating its Departures Lounge and its Assisted Travel Lounge as part of its £400 million airport transformation plan, following the opening of its Public Transport Interchange.
Bristol Airport Making Further Transformations
As part of its plans to improve passenger experiences, Bristol Airport is investing £60 million into the transformation of its Departures Lounge. The new lounge will be more spacious and will have nearly double the number of shops and restaurants, with 17 new units incorporated into the proposed design. The final lounge will contain premium retail brands and dining options as well as a hidden speakeasy bar. There is also space to allow for island retail units and more seating for the comfort of customers.
The new Assisted Travel lounge will be double the size of the current unit, and it will be located in the heart of the Departures lounge for ease of access. It will also include amenities such as tables for customers to sit, eat and work comfortably, as well as accessible toilets and a changing places facility, or a washroom with a hoist, height-adjustable bench, grab rails, shower and curtain with enough room to allow for carers and wheelchair users to access the facilities.
There will also be a baby feeding room and more washrooms, following feedback from the airport’s Accessibility Forum, which also offered feedback which was incorporated into the design of the Public Transport Interchange.
The arrivals hall will also benefit from a new domestic arrivals reclaim area with an additional baggage carousel, and capacity will increase by 20%. Immigration will also be made more accessible via new lifts and stairs.
Impact on Passenger Experiences
Staff at Bristol Airport are optimistic about the changes to the Departures Lounge, including Kate Gwyther, Head of Retail at Bristol Airport, who said:
“We’re excited about what’s coming. The new departure lounge will be bright and spacious where customers can relax, explore a variety of new shops, and enjoy a wider range of dining options to suit every schedule, taste and budget. It’s all designed to make the holiday feel like it starts the moment passengers arrive.”
Customers will notice construction taking place as the airport begins work on the Departures lounge, which will take three years to complete. Soul and Grain and Tortilla, two restaurants at the airport, are closing until mid-December as they relocate to accomodate the transformation. The Assisted Travel Lounge will also be relocated but will remain near the exit of World Duty Free. Passengers are expected to hear some construction noise, although the airport is aiming to keep any disturbance to a minimum.
Are you looking forward to Bristol’s new Departures Lounge? Let us know in the comments.
