BRISTOLInternational Airport has set itself a target of four new international routes to coincide with the opening of its new ú27m terminal development next year.
Airlines, including Bristol’s only hub carrier Brymon Airways, have been approached to launch services to Frankfurt, Milan, Copenhagen and Zurich.
The airport has even offered to prepare traffic forecasts for carriers to help in their assessments of new flights and save carriers money.
Marketing director Mike Luddy said: “It is frustrating just to have our current level of European routes.
“We have developed a model giving airlines traffic forecasts which does a lot of the leg-work for them.”
Luddy said all the targeted routes were potentially profitable, but each had their own start-up problems. Slots are scarce at Frankfurt and Zurich, while Milan and Copenhagen need a jet aircraft service.
Crossair is currently studying the Zurich proposal, while Luddy said British Airways subsidiary Brymon was a possibility for Frankfurt as it nearly managed to acquire slots at the airport last year.
A Bristol airport team has recently lobbied local MEPs on opening up major European airports to services from UK regions.
Current international routes are also understood to be upgraded this year. KLM is expected to switch to jets from turboprops in the winter for its Amsterdam flight, while Ryanair is to add a third daily Dublin flight to its double-daily operation in the summer. Ryanair is also likely to begin an Air France franchise flight to Paris, which will be placed in direct competition with Brymon’s current service.
The ambitious airport is even contemplating scheduled transatlantic flights once its runway and navigation systems are improved by the millennium.
Luddy: the current level of routes to Europe is leading to frustration at BIA