MANY people who would normally take a holiday abroad did not even come close to boarding a plane in 2021.

But bosses at Bournemouth Airport are looking forward to a year when people will be freer to travel abroad again – with flights planned to 36 destinations in 16 countries.

The Hurn site’s managing director, Steve Gill, says there is plenty of evidence that demand will come back strongly when the rules allow.

“We’ve seen the booking ratio being ahead of where it was pre-pandemic,” he said.

“That’s showing us that people are desperate to get back to some form of normality and enjoy a holiday.”

Early in the pandemic, Bournemouth Airport became one of the country’s most impressive parking places, with lines of British Airways and Virgin aircraft left there while flights were grounded.

Passenger flight did resume, of course, but have not been given much of an opportunity to get back to near-normality.

Recent data from the Civil Aviation Authority shows that 24.8million passengers flew in and out of the UK in the third quarter of this year. That was the period when the government ended the requirement for fully-vaccinated passengers to isolate for 10 days after returning from an “amber list” country.

That number represented a 300 per cent rise on the previous quarter – but was still 72 per cent down on the equivalent period before the pandemic in 2019.

Like its airlines, Bournemouth Airport, owned by the Rigby Group, had to put in place a range of restrictions to keep people as safe as possible from any Covid risks.

“The flights which have been operating have had very good load factors, operating within the various restrictions,” said Mr Gill.

“There’s still very much an appetite to fly and we’re keen to play our part in offering regional services.”

Next year’s schedule covers summer sun, winter breaks, ski holidays and even long-haul flights with TUI, allowing holiday-makers to meet up with a cruise ship in Barbados.

New destinations are Budapest, Lisbon, Bergerac and Zadar in Croatia.

While most people are naturally most interested in passenger flights, they are not the only ting making Bournemouth Airport viable.

Bournemouth has a large industrial site – and permission was recently granted for a development there said to be worth 2,600 jobs. It runs an aviation repair and overhaul operation. And it has a growing role as a cargo airport.

European Cargo, based at Bournemouth, has 15 aircraft and operates daily flights from China which have been bringing vital personal protective equipment (PPE) into the country during the pandemic.

Many locals may not know it, but it runs cargo flights between Bournemouth and John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, currently three times a week.

“I’m really pleased to say with European Cargo we will be flying three days a week between Bournemouth and Hong Kong in January,” Mr Gill said.

“By the end of the financial year we’re hoping to have moved something like 20,000 tonnes of cargo. Our plans are to double that in the next two to three years,” he added.

All airports have challenges to contend with, but Bournemouth has the prospect of increased competition from its near-neighbour Southampton.

For many years, Southampton Airport has had the easy rail and motorway links which Bournemouth lacks, while Bournemouth has had the advantage of a long runway able to take larger aircraft.

That will change if Southampton gets the runway extension it has been battling for.

Southampton’s expansion plan was approved this year by Eastleigh Borough Council after days of debate. The government decided not to “call in” the decision and a court refused an application for a judicial review into the council’s decision.

READ MORE: 'Come here for an easier landing': Bournemouth Airport's message over Southampton's runway extension

But the Group Opposed to the Expansion of Southampton Airport Ltd recently won an appeal against that court judgement, paving the way for a judicial review into whether the decision was properly made.

Bournemouth Airport had also been seeking a judicial review of the Southampton decision. But Mr Gill said he was not worried by the prospect of increased competition from 30 miles away.

“It’s not a threat in my view as we operate in quite different markets and have very different operational capabilities. There’s no guarantee that their proposal will ever be built because the planning appeal is going to a judicial review,” he said.

“We will play to our strengths and Southampton will play to theirs and hopefully there's room to grow for all operators.”