Low-cost airline easyJet is to launch another route from Bristol as it continues to build its network and strengthen its standing as the airport’s dominate carrier.
The link to Antalya in Turkey will be the airline’s 73rd destination from Bristol. 
Flights will operate three times a week – on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays – from May 3 and operate throughout the summer. The service is expected to carry more than 23,000 customers during its first season.
EasyJet already flies to the popular Turkish resorts of Dalaman and Bodrum.
The Antalya route is expected to prove popular with tourists seeking a cultural getaway – the historic port city is on what is known as the Turquoise Coast.
Antalya, pictured, becomes the seventh new destination announced by easyJet from Bristol this year following the introduction of a 17th aircraft at the airport.
Bristol is the airline’s largest base outside London and it operates more than half the airport’s total number of scheduled routes.
In the October it launched a new route from the airport to Hurghada in Egypt and earlier this year to Montpellier and Biarritz in France, Milan and Brindisi in Italy and Rhodes in the Greek Islands.
EasyJet UK country manager Ali Gayward said: “As the largest airline at Bristol we’re focused on strengthening our network and providing our customers in the South West with excellent services by offering great value fares, a convenient schedule and more choice when they travel.”
Bristol Airport business development director Nigel Scott said: “This is exciting news extending the number of easyJet destinations available from Bristol Airport and adding Antalya to the route network. The additional route demonstrates the long-term collaboration and joint growth strategy between easyJet and Bristol Airport.
“For customers in the South West it offers another sun destination and continues to increase the choice and flexibility of flights available to passengers in the region selecting to fly from their local airport.”
In November easyJet acquired the take-off and landing slots at Bristol Airport formerly owned by defunct travel group Thomas Cook.
The airline is paying £36m for the six summer slot pairs and one winter slot pair at Bristol along with 20 slots at Gatwick.
Meanwhile, rival budget airline Ryanair is to launch a service from Bristol to Brest in France, with a twice weekly service starting in March as part of an extended UK Summer 2020 schedule. It is the airline’s fifth destination in France. Ryanair flies to a total of nearly 50 destinations from Bristol.
Nigel Scott added: “We are delighted with Ryanair’s announcement adding a new service to Brest, France to the summer 2020 flight programme. This destination will compliment Ryanair’s existing route network from Bristol Airport and provide customers in the region a wider choice of destinations available from their local airport.
“Brest will provide important business and leisure opportunities for customers throughout the region and provide further inbound visitor potential to key attractions in the South West region.”
Bristol Airport has also opened a £6.5m car rental centre. The new area, south of the airport and close to the Silver Zone car park, will be home to all the airport’s on-site car rental companies improving the experience for passengers wishing to rent a car on their arrival at the Airport.
The project includes an enlarged office and reception area, dedicated pick-up and return parking spaces, valet and wash-bay facilities. A new dedicated shuttle bus service for passengers will operate between the consolidated car rental centre and the terminal every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The design of the building includes installation of photovoltaic solar panels on the roof of the building, rainwater harvesting tanks for the wash-bay facility, with 80% of the water used in the wash-bays being recycled and subsequent wash cycles topped up by the rain-water harvesting tanks.
During construction of the site more than 5,000 tonnes of rock excavated from various projects across the airport were reused on-site and processed for use on the project.
