Low-cost carrier Easyjet has carried 55 million passengers since it began operations at Bristol Airport (BRS/EGGD) in 2002.
Bristol Airport is one of Easyjet’s largest bases and the largest outside of London. Currently it operates 71 routes from the West Country airport and up to 740 flights per week in peek season.
Easyjet currently has 16 Airbus A320 and Airbus A319 aircraft based at the airport with a 17th being added this year along with five new routes to Rhodes, Montpellier, Biarritz, Brindisi and Milan.
Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager for Easyjet, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating flying over 55 million passengers from Bristol today, this is a fantastic milestone for us. Bristol is a key market for Easyjet and we continue to be committed to sustainable growth at the airport.
“We have added a significant number of extra seats this summer which means we can continue to provide affordable, convenient connections for our customers whether they’re travelling for business or leisure.
“I have to thank our fantastic customers who travel to and from Bristol for their loyalty and support. We remain excited about the future at Bristol.”
Easyjet is the largest airline user at Bristol Airport and offers 6 million seats per year. Speaking about the growth at Bristol Airport, Nigel Scott, Business Development Director for Bristol Airport, added: “We are incredibly proud of Easyjets’s growth and it is a demonstration of the successful partnership between Easyjet and Bristol Airport.
“This year Easyjet will base seventeen Airbus aircraft, operating 71 routes from Bristol Airport providing over 600 jobs to Easyjet employees on site. The network offers passengers in the region an extensive choice and flexibility of flights whilst choosing to use their local airport.
“This growth has been accomplished by passengers wishing to connect for business, visiting family and friends or enjoying a well-deserved holiday. We look forward to further development of the long standing relationship between both companies and extending the route network in the future.”
The news comes as pre-tax losses for the Luton based airline widen to £275m for the first half of 2019, up from £18m in the same period last year, with the airline blaming Brexit uncertainty causing increased costs.
Easyjet also said it lost £10m in the Gatwick Drone incident when all flights were grounded over suspected Drone activity at the airport.
Despite the losses the airline reported a 13.3% rise in passenger numbers for the period.
