Regional UK airport reveals plans for first long-haul flights in 15 years – including to the US and Middle East

A UK airport has reveals plans to start long-haul flights – after scrapping them more than a decade ago.

Bristol Airport once offered flights as far as New York, operated by now-closed Continental Airlines.

However, these were scrapped back in 2010, with the longest route from the airport now just under six hours to Cape Verde.

But new plans could see long-haul flights once again operate from Bristol Airport.

A consultation has been launched in regards to a longer runway extension at the airport, as well as a larger terminal.

As many as 15million passengers a year are expected to travel through Bristol Airport by 2036 – despite the current capacity of 12million.

If the extension was given the go-ahead, this could mean new destinations including a “limited number” of long-haul flights,

Destinations would include the east coast of the US, so places like New York and Florida, as well as the Middle East such as Dubai.

Chief executive Dave Lees said: “We’ve seen since the pandemic a real resurgence in terms of people wanting to connect with friends and family across Europe as well as across the world and that will inform our plans as we go forward over the coming years.

“The masterplan will look at what further development might be required to meet this growing demand for air travel and we’d welcome input from people to help shape our plans.”

An increase in passengers would see an 35 extra flights a day during the peak seasons, as well as an increase of 1,000 night flights throughout the year.

It comes as the airport is undergoing a huge £400million renovation.

The terminal will be 70 per cent larger as part of the revamp with new restaurants and lounges.

Both baggage claim and immigration will be made larger too, while a covered walkway will connect holidaymakers from the car park to the airport.

The renovation is set to take place over the next five years.

Bristol Airport CEO Dave Lees previously said: “There will be a range of casual dining options including more restaurants as well as increasing the size of our lounges for those wanting a quieter location to relax [and ] also be substantially increasing the immigration area, baggage reclaim hall and the number of baggage reclaim units.”

It comes after the airport introduced new security and body scanners ahead of the new liquid rules, although these have since been rolled back.

It’s not just Bristol wanting to launch new long-haul flights.

Leeds Bradford Airport has revealed plans for longer routes in the next three years.

He said: “We’re already having those conversations with airlines from North America and the Middle East about how we can collectively work together to make those things happen over the next two to three years.

“I would be disappointed if by 2027 we did not have flights to North America and the Middle East.”

Other new long-haul flights from the UK include Norse Airways’ new Cape Town flights from London Gatwick.

And easyJet is launching flights from the UK to Cape Verde.