One million passengers have now checked in at Bournemouth Airport in 2024.
The Dorset south coast airport which started as RAF Hurn in the 1940’s. And then embarked on a new life as a civil one by the end of the war.
Now Bournemouth Airport has welcomed its one millionth passenger in 2024 and expects more in 2025.
(left to right): Millionth passenger Lisa Gray, Bournemouth Airport Managing Director, Steve Gill, Paul Gray and airport Customer Service Director Cathy Hicks.
This major milestone was marked as the millionth passenger was surprised with champagne and flowers. By the Bournemouth Airport Managing Director Steve Gill and Customer Service Director Cathy Hicks.
Checking In One Million Passengers
Lisa Gray with her partner Paul arrived from Portugal to the surprise reception. Lisa said: “We love Bournemouth Airport. It’s our local airport, we live three miles away. It’s super-easy and super-friendly.”
The bumper summer season between April and October has seen 840,210 passengers use the airport. An increase of nearly 103,000 compared to the same period last year.
Bosses are preparing for a further surge in numbers in 2025.
Stephen Gill Airport MD.
Managing Director Steve Gill said: “We’re thrilled to see Bournemouth Airport becoming increasingly popular as the premier airport on the south coast and a great alternative to the busy London hubs.
“More and more people are recognising the convenience and ease of travelling from their local airport. And with the exciting developments under way, we’re looking forward to an even wider range of destinations in the year ahead.”
Bournemouth Airport exterior.
The rise in passenger numbers and anticipated future growth comes following a series of new routes and investment announcements by the airport which include:
Bournemouth Airport Growth In Passengers And Routes
1. TUI’s enhanced operations, with a second aircraft based at the airport this summer, adding an extra 60,000 seats.
2.Ryanair’s growing presence, with a 23-route network that includes recently announced flights to Crete, Rhodes and Fuerteventura.
Ryanair.
3. Jet2’s imminent arrival, with 20 new routes launching from February 2025, covering popular destinations across Europe, the Canary Islands, and the Mediterranean.
Bournemouth Airport is undergoing a multi-million-pound enhancement program led by its owners, Regional and City Airports.
They are involved with airports like Norwich, Coventry, Exeter, Blackpool, City of Derry and Solent Airport too.
Its CEO is Andrew Andrew Bell Regional & City Airports (RCA), the specialist regional airport management division of the Rigby Group.
Andrew Bell, CEO Regional & City Airports.
The airport, which employs around 300 people, is also a key air cargo hub for e-commerce and plays an increasingly important role supporting the region’s wider aviation sector with pilot training, military operations and the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft.
It’s neighbouring Aviation Business Park is also home to over 200 national and international businesses.
European Aviation Group flying PPE into the UK.
Recent history has seen tons and tons of air cargo flown into Bournemouth when the demand for Covid PPE was at its height a few years ago.
Bournemouth Airport’s History and Future
The local travel company Bath Travel was a regular user of the airport with its famous owner Peter Bath who would see off each of his flights personally of his Palmair service to Mallorca.
Former Bath Travel Palmair plane that ran regular services from Bournemouth.
The latest CAA analysis of its data on flight delays shows that in September Bournemouth had none of its planned 785 flights cancelled.
easyJet.
easyJet also have some winter flights (Dec to April) to places like Geneva.
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