Aviation Minister, Baroness Sugg, visited Bristol Airport on 6 July to view newly installed hold baggage screening equipment – one of the first in the UK to meet the latest Department for Transport standards which come into force this September.
The £18.7 million project involved a complete redesign of the baggage processing system to incorporate the larger, heavier x-ray machines required to meet the new standards. As well as ensuring compliance with the new regulations, the new baggage system delivers increased capacity enabling the Airport to ensure processing times are not impacted as passenger numbers continue to grow.
On her first official visit to Bristol Airport, Baroness Sugg was briefed on plans to increase capacity to 12 million passengers per annum in order meet demand for air travel to and from the South West of England and South Wales. The Minister also met members of the Airport’s customer service team who recently became Dementia Friends Champions as part of an initiative to improve the airport experience for passengers with hidden disabilities.
Simon Earles, Planning and Sustainability Director at Bristol Airport, said:
“We were delighted to welcome Baroness Sugg and proud to showcase areas in which Bristol is leading the way – from implementation of new technology to training for our teams. With the Government in the process of developing a new Aviation Strategy, this was also a timely opportunity to share our own future plans, highlighting the role of Bristol Airport as an engine of growth for the regional economy and the importance of improving surface access to its continued success.”
Aviation Minister, Baroness Sugg, said:
“The security and safety of our passengers is our top priority and I was impressed to see Bristol’s investment in new technology to achieve this.
“Through our aviation strategy we will continue to look for new opportunities to protect passengers and airport workers as part of taking a fresh look at aviation sector up to 2050.
“And we will support regional airports like Bristol, which play an important role in boosting the local economy and providing vital connections.”
Serving more than eight million passengers a year, Bristol is the ninth busiest airport in the UK and England’s third largest airport outside London. Direct flights operate to 126 destinations in 34 countries.
In June, Bristol Airport was named ‘Best Airport in Europe’ in the 5-10 million passengers category at the annual awards dinner held by European airports association, ACI Europe.
