Airports of South West England

Usually, when we consider air travel in the UK we tend to think of airports in the London and south east of the country. However, the south west of the country has seen much development in air travel over the last ten years and it is becoming more and more likely that holidaymakers from Devon, Cornwall and Somerset will be able to find a flight to their desired destination without having to travel to London first. Here is a short guide to the Westcountry's most significant airports.

Exeter International Airport
Civil flights began from Exeter Airport during 1946 after it was handed over by the RAF. By 1952 Exeter was offering short haul overseas flights to the Channel Islands (it still does today), and by the 1980s its services solidified its reputation as the most important airport in the Westcountry. Today the airport also offers many internal flights, along with overseas flights to Dubrovnick, Paris, Salzberg, and Toronto by airlines ranging from Flybe to Thomson.

Plymouth City Airport
By comparison, Plymouth Airport has seen relatively little growth over the years, despite its long history that stretches back to 1923. In recent years the airport boasted services to internal destinations, the Channel Islands and France, but by September 2007 it looked as if the airport would close due to the proposed sale of its second runway for industrial development. However, the following month a number of new routes were announced to Ireland, Chambéry and Newcastle amongst others and the airport benefited from a new lease of life.

Newquay Cornwall Airport
Internal commercial services have been in place at Newquay since the middle of the 20th century, but it wasn't until 1975 that British Midland Airways constructed a fully-fledged passenger terminal. By the end of the 70s, overseas flights to the Channel Islands were available, and by the 90s a new civil terminal allowed the airport to process more passengers. In 2008 a long-term Airport Masterplan was drafted with the initial aim to process 700,000 passengers annually. Newquay now offers flights within the UK and across Europe.

Bristol International Airport
Bristol airport is one of the fastest growing airports in the UK and processed over 6 million passengers in 2008. Subsequently, it is the Westcountry's busiest airport and has the widest range of services including airport parking and excellent connections to Wales and south west England. Bristol has the most comprehensive number of services to Europe from the area, including: Brussels, Amsterdam and Trieste, whilst it also offers international flights to destinations as diverse as: Tenerife, Sharm el-Sheikh, and Orlando.

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