My local is Bristol.
a) The frequency and variety are generally good, excellent in some cases, although winter frequencies were noticeably reduced last year on a number of routes and the same appears to be the case this coming winter.
easyJet and Ryanair are the principle scheduled carriers although Continental, Aer Arann, Aurigny, Flybe, Air Southwest, KLMcitihopper, Air France and Brussels Airlines also operate to a greater or lesser degree.
The timings of some routes could be better. For example, there are no flights to Glasgow or Edinburgh after around 0700 until the late afternoon.
As with most UK airports the charter market has reduced significantly in recent years and Bristol is left with the big two for most of its charter routes, although airlines such as Viking, Eurocypria, Air Malta, bmi, Koral Blue and Balkan also visited regularly during this summer.
b) Bristol is not easy to reach by road and there is no rail connection. Although the airport is next to the A38 north-south main road access from the north is via the congested southwest suburbs of Bristol or through country lanes if people are brave, and from the south along a 14-mile stretch of speed limited A38 from the M5 junction.
The airport does have an excellent Flyer Coach that operates at 15-minute intervals from very early morning until the early hours of the following day. The 50-seat vehicles connect the airport with the central rail station, bus/coach station and some central hotels. Through rail bookings are possible from all over the country and are proving very popular. The Flyer shifts around 12% of passengers using the airport at present with most boarding and exiting at the main rail station at Temple Meads.
c) Like most industries serving the public directly the service can be variable, depending on the individual member of staff. Overall it is usually acceptable and often very good.
Probably many people will say the airport is not as friendly as when it was a very small operation but that is a perception in my view and not necessarily always correct.
d) The airport has a reputation in the trade of being a 'can do' facility and has been very lucky in the quality of its senior managers over many years.
Current annual throughput is 5.6 million passengers, down from the 6.2 million seen in 2008. The master plan sets out a target of 10 mppa by around 2016 although this has been put back to nearer 2020 because of the recession.
To accomplish this the airport has submitted a major planning application for a huge expansion (doubling the terminal size amongst other things) following nearly four years of consultation and revamping the plans. There is significant opposition to the expansion amongst some local people and many activists from further afield with one of the most able anti-expansion groups in the country ranged against it.
