Budget airline Ryanair is marking a major milestone at Bristol Airport.
The carrier announced on Thursday (December 11) that it had now carried 29 million passengers through the South West transport hub since it began operations there in 1998.
This winter, Ryanair is operating 240 weekly flights across 28 routes to and from Bristol Airport, including to Alicante in Spain, Porto in Portugal and city break destinations such as Budapest in Hungary and Krakow and Wrocław in Poland.
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Ryanair’s Jade Kirwan said: “This significant milestone showcases Ryanair’s continued support and investment in the region, delivering important connectivity, traffic, tourism, jobs and economic growth."
Bristol Airport’s chief executive, Dave Lees said the achievement highlighted a "shared commitment" with Ryanair to "delivering excellent connectivity across Europe".
“We’re delighted to celebrate Ryanair carrying 29 million passengers from Bristol Airport, a milestone that reflects our strong partnership over the past two decades," he said.
Mr Lees said the low-cost carrier offered travellers in the South West of England and Wales "an extensive range of destinations", while also opening up opportunities for tourists to visit the region.
"We look forward to further strengthening our long-standing partnership with Ryanair and building on this success in the years ahead by expanding our network and providing even more travel options for our passengers," he added.
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Ryanair's profits rose 42 per cent to €2.54bn in the six months to the end of September. The carrier said growing demand over the summer helped its fares rise 13 per cent.
The carrier flew 119 million passengers over the period - up three per cent on last year - after improved Boeing plane deliveries meant it could transport more people.
In September, Bristol Airport recorded its "busiest month ever" amid surging demand for travel post-pandemic.
More than 1.2 million people travelled through the South West transport hub in August with the airport also taking on more staff.