Bristol Airport has been named Best UK Airport in the prestigious Business Travel Awards 2012.
The airport saw off competition from London City, Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester to land the top award, which was presented in front of 1,200 travel industry guests at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.
An independent panel of judges, including travel managers from major organisations such as EADS, Alcatel-Lucent, Tesco, HSBC and E.ON, commented on the airport’s proactive approach to corporate customers.
A dedicated sales team works with businesses and agents across the South West to understand their travel needs and further develop the airport’s offer for business passengers.
Other initiatives include a dedicated newsletter for business travellers, the introduction of free wi-fi internet access in the terminal and plans for a ‘business-friendly’ boarding gate for use by airlines serving key business routes.
It was also a successful night for Air France KLM, which operates three daily flights to Paris and four to Amsterdam from Bristol Airport. The full-service carrier won the Best Airline Worldwide category.
Bristol Airport chief executive officer Robert Sinclair said: “This award is recognition for the relationships we have built with organisations across the South West and would not have been possible without their support.
“We will continue to develop our product for business travellers, working with airlines to offer the routes and frequencies required by the region’s businesses.”
The airport handled 5.7m passengers last year, around 15% travelling on business.
