Dutch airline KLM claims the number of people using flights from Bristol to Amsterdam to make long-haul connections has increased.
The airline said connecting traffic on flights between Bristol and KLM’s Schiphol hub has increased 12% following the introduction of a larger aircraft.
KLM introduced an Embraer 190, with a seat capacity of 100, on two of its daily departures in April 2013, and extended this to cover all flights earlier this year.
The most popular long-haul connections for Bristol passengers are Nairobi, Cape Town and Osaka, closely followed by Tokyo and Singapore.
With Air Passenger Duty set to be reduced for journeys over 4,000 miles from April 2015, long-haul connections are expected to see continued growth.
Warner Rootliep, Air France KLM general manager for the UK and Ireland said: “Our operations in Bristol are crucial to our extensive regional network. We are delighted to have introduced our brand new Embraer 190 aircraft on this route following demand from our passengers.
“This aircraft capacity increase – an extra 120 seats per day – means more passengers connecting via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, more easily and to more destinations, and all this from their local airport.
“This is a win-win for everyone. This year KLM is celebrating its 95th anniversary so this is another reason for southwest passengers to choose KLM as their favourite airline to travel the world.”
Shaun Browne, aviation director at Bristol Airport, said: “A larger aircraft on the Bristol-Amsterdam route, combined with the convenient transfer process at Schiphol, means that passengers are increasingly choosing to fly long-haul from their local airport.
“Today’s announcement from KLM highlights just some of the exotic destinations which are now even more accessible for passengers from the southwest.”