Bournemouth Airport could be getting terminal expansion

Airport owner Regional & City Airports is in early talks with BCP Council’s planning department about the possibility of an expansion of the terminal building and transport interchange. 

At this stage, there are no solid plans in place and the application is in its early stages. 

But following Jet2’s announcement it will now fly two aircraft from Hurn next year, bosses are preparing the airport for the inevitable extra passengers who will pass through the terminal. 

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A spokesman said: "With the fantastic news about Jet2.com and Jet2holidays making Bournemouth their 12th UK airport base with the start of 16 routes from next April, we are looking at how we can invest to deliver the best possible customer experience to all passengers.  

“We are working with the local authority and other stakeholders as we plan that investment, and we look forward to sharing more details in the future." 

It’s widely expected Bournemouth Airport will welcome more than one million passengers this year - a number it last hit 15 years ago in 2008. 

Ryanair is now flying twice weekly flights to the Moroccan seaside city of Agadir and TUI just last month landed an additional Boeing 737 aircraft. 

TUI has increased the frequency of flights to Lanzarote, Heraklion, Ibiza, Menorca, Paphos, Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife, running 27 flights per week to 14 destinations. 

As part of the anticipated growth, airport owners Regional and City Airports will be pumping more than £5m into new facilities, equipment, staff and training. 

An aerial picture of Bournemouth Airport at Hurn on September 18, 2019. Picture by Stephen Bath (Image: Stephen Bath)

It remains unclear how much money bosses are expected to pump into providing a terminal expansion. 

The airport will soon get an upgraded security search area with new scanning kit to relax the restriction on liquids and the need to take electronics out of bags. 

There will be a new airport information desk, improved baggage screening, an extra baggage retrieval area in the arrivals terminal, more Border Force desks in arrivals and improved queuing systems for passenger handling in both departures and arrivals. 

Steve Gill, managing director of Bournemouth Airport, said: “Before the pandemic, we saw 800,000 passengers. Having exceeded that this year, we are confident of seeing more than one million in 2024. 

“That’s a tremendous achievement and reflects the great range of destinations available from Bournemouth Airport and our commitment to providing the best possible experience for passengers.”