Bristol airport handled a record of more than 10 million passengers last year amid growth plans that would provide connections to North America and the Middle East.
The west country airport saw traveller numbers rise by 7% over 2023 levels, making it one of the fastest growing airports in the UK since the pandemic with linksto more than 117 destinations across 34 countries.
Growth was powered by “exceptional demand” for routes to Amsterdam and Paris as part of a rise in trips to European cities for weekend breaks and business.
Tourists arriving in the country from mainland Europe to spend time in the southwest and South Wales has also been buoyant, according to the airport.
New routes for this year include Almeria in Spain and Palermo in Sicily, following Istanbul, Tromso and Agadir.
An additional Airbus A320 will join easyJet’s Bristol fleet from June, bringing up to 19 the number of the budget airline’s aircraft based at the airport.
More than a third of commercial air traffic movements are now being made by quieter and efficient Airbus A320neo and Boing 737 Max aircraft, according to the airport.
The airport has been consulting on a masterplan to 2040 setting out growth beyond a current allowance of 12 million passengers a year up to 15 million by around 2036 that would see new connections to North America and the Middle East.
A £400 million upgrade is currently underway, including the construction of a £60 million public transport Interchange and car park due for completion this summer.
Chief executive Dave Lees said: “It’s great to see so many more passengers from the southwest and South Wales choosing to use Bristol airport, with much interest in the new destinations we have on offer.
“Our masterplan sets out how we would meet the strong and growing demand of people in the region using the airport and the improvements we intend to make to further enhance the customer experience.
“The future development proposals are forecast to support more than 37,000 jobs in the southwest and South Wales – including an additional 1,000 jobs at the airport.”
A record number of people used buses to access the airport last year, including a service connecting Bristol and Weston-super-Mare which saw 1.3 million passenger journeys. New connections were also put in place for those living in the southwest, South Wales and Gloucestershire.