Bristol Airport boost for CHSW funds

Bristol Airport has got 2013 off to a flying start for a local charity by announcing that during the past year it has raised £20,000 for Children's Hospice South West.

CHSW runs Charlton Farm at Wraxall to support children with life shortening illnesses and their families.

Airport employees nominated CHSW as their charity of the year for 2012 with staff organising a variety of fundraising activities throughout the year.

As part of the year-long partnership CHSW volunteers were given exclusive access to make cash collections in the terminal building.  

Kate Fisher, CHSW corporate partnerships fundraiser said: "We are hugely grateful to Bristol Airport for all their support throughout 2012.  

"The money raised will enable us to raise a smile and make the most of short and precious lives.  

"We would also like to say a huge thank you to all our amazing volunteers who gave up their time to collect at the airport.."

• Passenger numbers at Bristol Airport have risen for the third successive year at nearly six million people. The number of people passing through the terminal was up 2.8 per cent compared to the previous year, making Bristol the only airport in the UK's top 10 to see growth each year since the end of 2009. June and July were record-breaking months. The rise in passenger numbers was achieved with fewer flights, with the total number of aircraft movements down by 7.3 per cent – a decrease of almost 5,000 flights as a result of airlines operating larger aircraft with high load factors.
• In October, Bristol Airport welcomed a new airline when bmi regional commenced a double-daily service to Aberdeen, with further flights to Frankfurt and Hamburg to follow from this February. New routes included easyJet services to Copenhagen and Naples, and a three-times weekly Ryanair flight to Warsaw Modlin.
• The first phase of development which will ultimately enable Bristol Airport to handle 10 million passengers per annum was completed in June when three new aircraft stands were opened by the then Transport Secretary, Justine Greening.  Other improvements included the construction of an additional immigration facility and an expanded security search area, both aimed at increasing the efficiency of essential processes at peak times. 
• However the future Bristol Airport could be threatened by the Welsh Government plans to buy Cardiff Airport, says MEP Ashley Fox. The Conservative MEP for the South West and Gibraltar says he has written to the European Commission to ask whether the moves breaches EU state aid rules and could provide Cardiff Airport with an unfair advantage over other regional airports. First minister Carwyn Jones announced in December that the Welsh government wanted to buy Cardiff Airport from its current owner, TBI, to secure its future.