UK. The Design Solution (TDS), a leading specialist in the planning and design of airport commercial spaces, has been appointed by Bristol Airport to support its latest phase of expansion. The airport, located in the south-west of England, is planning to increase capacity from ten to 12 million passengers per year.
The project represents the fifth time that TDS has supported Bristol’s development in a relationship going back over 25 years.
Bristol Airport’s latest development is focused on the airport’s terminal building, increasing space in the departures area by designing the use of voids and internal roads to create an improved space. The project will enhance the quality of the passenger experience while also supporting the development of the airport’s current two levels of commercial space, noted TDS.
Bristol Airport’s unusual three-storey layout “may be unique in the airport industry and presents added challenges in the quest to optimise the use of space,” said TDS.
Passengers enter and check-in on the ground floor while the commercial offer is presented across two upper floors, with security and duty free and speciality retail offer on the first floor and food & beverage positioned on the floor above, alongside the departures area.
TDS said its long-established relationship with Bristol Airport has given it an in-depth understanding of the terminal, as TDS director Graeme Johns explained: “It is always particularly satisfying for us to have airport clients come back with further projects as they evolve. Amazingly, this is the fifth time we have worked with Bristol. Our relationship goes from the 1997 planning of its new terminal – with a capacity of just 2.5 million passengers – all the way to the current plan to raise capacity to 12 million passengers per year.
“We first became involved with them shortly after their new terminal received planning permission in 1997, subsequently opening in 2000. It was only the third airport client for us, after Gatwick and Heathrow projects. Since then, we have partnered with the airport in each of its four major development phases, culminating in today’s planning for a new capacity five times bigger than the original building was designed for.
“Since its 2000 opening, the airport has responded to huge increases in overall demand from the low-cost carrier revolution and the extra space required for security operations. It remains one of the UK’s most loved regional airports and stands as proof that smart commercial strategies and a high-quality passenger experience are not mutually exclusive.”
Bristol Airport Infrastructure Director Andrew Goodenough added: “Bristol Airport has a proven, highly proactive approach to driving the efficiency of its operations, consistently focusing on the quality of the passenger experience and the airport’s vital role in the region.
“Our latest expansion programme has been driven by the increased demands of both leisure travellers and business needs across the region and we are delighted to have the specialist planning support of The Design Solution once again.
“The airport’s growth to 12 million passengers per annum will create thousands of new jobs in the years ahead, open up new direct air links and further support inbound tourism. We are integrating a range of enhanced environmental projects in this expansion and will continue to develop the airport in a responsible way while maintaining our commitment to being a net zero airport operation by 2030.”
Within its latest development programme, Bristol Airport is investing over £60 million in creating a new public transport hub, creating better services and accessibility for customers arriving or leaving the airport, and is also developing new lounge facilities to support the passenger experience. ✈
