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Airport sees boost in passenger numbers

Getty Images Exterior of Bournemouth Airport terminal, which has a large canopy held up by four pillars.Getty Images
Bournemouth Airport has seen a 25% increase in its passenger numbers compared to 2019, bosses say

The number of people using an airport has exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time.

About 967,000 passengers used Bournemouth Airport in Dorset between March 2023 and 2024, figures revealed.

Bosses previously said it had welcomed 800,000 people in 2019.

In July, the site applied to expand its terminal buildings and parking to create more capacity.

Google A car park filled with cars. White painted signs on the road read "car park". There are temporary white and orange plastic barriers at the entrance. There is also a sign which reads "Drop off, pick up".Google
The airport wants to build 900 more parking spaces, in addition to the 2,600 spaces currently available

The airport predicted it would handle more than one million passengers in 2024, because of an increase in the range and number of flights on offer.

Ryanair based a second aircraft at the site in 2023 and TUI added a second plane earlier in the summer.

'From strength to strength'

Airline and tour operator Jet2 will also begin offering flights and package holidays from the airport in April 2025.

Its selection of new destinations for winter 2025-26, including the Canary Islands, Spain, Majorca, Turkey and Portugal, were also dubbed a "huge vote of confidence" for the airport.

The site previously announced plans to invest more than £5m in new facilities, equipment and staff to cater for the expected growth.

Bournemouth Airport's managing director Steve Gill said it was going "from strength to strength".

"We are continuing to invest in upgrading our facilities to cater for future growth and provide the best possible passenger experience," he added.

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