AROUND 900 new car parking spaces could be added at Bournemouth Airport in huge expansion plans to ‘facilitate growth’.

Bournemouth Airport has asked BCP Council if it will need to produce an environmental statement in an application for the expansion.

A site located south of the airport runway has been earmarked for the new parking spaces, accessible via Hurn Court Lane as per the current car parking arrangements.

It currently comprises hangars and smaller light industrial units.

There are a currently around 2600 car parking spaces available at Bournemouth Airport.

However, the airport is expected to have approximately 1.1 million passengers for the year 2024/25 (April 2024 to March 2025), and the current car park is expected to ‘approach its capacity’ during the peak summer season.

Bournemouth Airport said the proposed expansion would ‘facilitate some of the projected and approved growth in passenger numbers’.

The airport stated in its application to BCP Council: “The additional car parking in itself will not generate vehicle movements but the anticipated increase in scheduled flights over the next couple of summers and uplift in passenger numbers will lead to additional vehicle movements and demand for car parking which would be met through this proposed provision.

“The increase in car parking spaces required is not directly proportional to the increase in passenger numbers since flights typically operate with an arrival (bringing passengers in to the airport who then return to their vehicle and depart the car park) and then after some time, a departure (taking passengers out of the airport who will have arrived earlier at the airport in their vehicle).

"Therefore, whilst there would be an increase in the accumulation of car parking, this is proportionally lower than the growth in passengers.

"A total of 1.8 million passengers per annum would be forecast to result in peak demand to fill the existing and proposed car parking areas; an additional approx. 700,000 passengers per annum based on estimated current year passenger numbers."

A spokesman for Bournemouth Airport told the Daily Echo: "With the exciting news that Jet2.com and Jet2holidays are starting 16 new routes from Bournemouth next year we are in discussions with the local council about providing an additional 900 car parking spaces on redundant land within the airport boundary close to our existing car parks.

"This is to accommodate projected passenger growth and provide the best possible customer experience."