Bristol Airport (BRS), located in the South West of England, has formally opened its new Public Transport Interchange, which will provide more options for local people and commuters travelling to and from the airport using public transport, as part of a £400 million renovation programme.
Connecting Bristol Airport and the South West
The 19-month project cost £60 million and will see around 250 public transport movements per day. The new interchange is set to modernise the journey to the international airport, making services to and from the airport more frequent and sustainable. The transport interchange, located on the top of a multi-storey car park, hosts 16 bus and coach bays, an increase from the previous five bays, meaning that each service to Bristol Airport now has a dedicated bay, reducing overcrowding and simplifying passenger transfers. There is also a sheltered waiting area for buses to the Silver Zone car park, live screens for updated travel information and a bridge linking the transport hub and the terminal forecourt.
The number of passengers travelling to the airport by public transport was at an all-time high; in 2024, the A1 Flyer bus service — which serves Bristol Bus Station, the city centre, Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station and Bristol Airport — carried more than one million passengers. In the same year, an additional 300,000 passengers took advantage of the A3 Flyer service, which serves the nearby seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. According to Graeme Gamble, Chief Operating Officer of Bristol Airport, only 15 percent of passengers using Bristol Airport travel there by public transport. He said that the airport is aiming to increase this amount to 20 percent of passengers following the construction of the transport hub, which will also feature a larger M&S supermarket, a taxi drop-off point and a simplified road layout for easier commutes.
North Somerset MP Sadik Al-Hassan, who joined airport executives and local councillors in celebrating the transport hub’s grand opening, gave the following statement:
“It was fantastic to be able to open this £60m new facility. It’s a big step forward for public transport capacity in North Somerset. The new facilities mean it’s now much better to travel by bus or coach to the Airport – encouraging people out of their cars. For the thousands of people that work here, I hope as many as possible take advantage of the free staff travel and this modern new facility.”
A Boost for the Local Community
Bristol Airport’s investment in public transport is also an investment in the local community: not only are more staff living in the local area able to get to work at the airport through free staff travel, but the building of the transport hub provided 120 jobs at the project’s peak. The concrete needed from the project came from a supplier less than five miles (8km) from the airport, and up to 30 percent of the project’s suppliers are situated within a 50-mile (80km) radius. Additionally, the project represented a gateway into careers in engineering and construction, with apprentices and students on T Level placements from Weston College, a local further education college, coming to work on the Public Transport Interchange. Dave Lees, Chief Executive at Bristol Airport, celebrated the completion of the project and its impact on the local community and economy:
“The Public Transport Interchange has provided vital skills and employment for local people and apprentices, and sourced regional suppliers, helping to boost the local economy. Engagement with local schools and charities has also been at the heart of the development. And we’re delighted to announce that the A1 and A3 Flyer bus service will be completely electric from 2026. This is all part of our commitment to net zero operations, and by more than doubling the number of bus and coach bays this demonstrates we are committed to encouraging customers to use public transport where possible. The increase of passengers using the Flyer bus service, as well as 20% of staff is a step in the right direction.”
Bristol Airport (BRS), located 8 miles (13 km) south of the city of Bristol, was the UK’s eighth busiest airport in 2019. Airports flying from Bristol Airport include easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2.com and TUI, with a new Pegasus Airlines service to Istanbul launching earlier this month. A cabin crew member based at Bristol Airport, when asked where the majority of passengers come from, said the following:
“Our passengers come from an incredibly wide catchment area. Apart from Bristol and Somerset, we have passengers coming in from all over the South West, as well as passengers from South, Mid and West Wales, and in England, as far north as Gloucester. We occasionally get passengers from Gatwick if there are delays or diversions there.”
Passengers wishing to make use of the new Public Transport Interchange can learn more on the airport’s website.
Will you be leaving the car at home to get to Bristol Airport by bus? Let us know in the comments.
