Bournemouth Airport on track for 1m passengers as Ryanair expands

Bournemouth Airport is expected to handle more than one million passengers this year for the first time since 2008.

Owners Regional and City Airports are also investing upwards of £5 million in new facilities, equipment, staff and training.

The forecast comes as Ryanair confirms plans to start twice-weekly flights to the beach destination of Agadir in Morocco from April 2025, after adding a second aircraft at Bournemouth last summer.

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Tour operator TUI will soon follow suit with a second craft of their own. With that they’ll offer an extra 60,000 seats – up 33 per cent on 2023 – with increased frequency also planned on many of their routes.

Steve Gill, Managing Director of Bournemouth Airport, said: “We’ve embarked on a major investment programme to cater for the anticipated growth in passenger numbers.

“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.

“While our investment programme continues, we thank passengers for their patience and aim to complete the majority of work during the quieter winter months.”

That includes an upgraded security search area with new scanning equipment to relax the restriction on liquids and the need for passengers to take electronics out of bags.

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