Airport guide
Bristol Airport (BRS, EGGD) at a glance
Bristol Airport is the airport for Bristol and north Somerset. It stands on high ground at Lulsgate Bottom, 7 nautical miles south-west of the city, and was known for some years as Bristol International Airport and before that as Bristol (Lulsgate) Airport.
Aircraft
What can fly from Bristol Airport
Charter-A is a charter broker: we arrange private jet, air taxi and helicopter flights to and from Bristol Airport. Every flight here needs prior permission, a slot and a handler, which are arranged as part of your booking.
Private jets at Bristol Airport
The 2,011 m runway is long enough for airliners, so private jets from very light jets to large cabin aircraft can use it. Passengers are normally handled through the general aviation facilities or a private terminal (FBO), here the Centreline terminal on the south side, and arrive about 30 minutes before departure.
Air taxis at Bristol Airport
Turboprop air taxis use the same runway and the same south side terminal as the jets, and jet fuel is sold on the airfield. Parking for smaller aircraft is limited and is booked ahead with the handler. Fuel for piston aircraft is confirmed for your flight. Passengers arrive about 30 minutes before departure.
Helicopters at Bristol Airport
Helicopters can use Bristol Airport. They arrive and depart along the runway in use, as air traffic control directs, and are handled on the south side of the airfield with the private jets. Passengers arrive about 10 minutes before departure.
Airport facts
Bristol Airport facts, codes and location
The reference details for Bristol Airport, with the airfield on a satellite map. The rings are 600 and 1,200 metres from the airport reference point, the middle of the runway.
| Address | Bristol Airport, Bristol BS48 3DY, United Kingdom |
| ICAO code | EGGD |
| IATA code | BRS |
| Coordinates | 51.3828 N, 2.7192 W |
| Elevation | 622 feet (190 m) |
| Runway | 09/27: 2,011 m (6,598 ft) long, 45 m wide, grooved asphalt |
| Owner | Privately owned. Macquarie Asset Management bought a 55 per cent stake on 3 November 2025. Run by Bristol Airport Ltd |
| Opening hours | 24 hours. Prior permission and a slot are required for every flight |
| Customs and immigration | Available 24 hours, subject to notified movements |
| Handling | Required for all aircraft |
Bristol Airport (BRS, EGGD) is at 51.3828 N, 2.7192 W. The facts table on this page gives the address, codes and runway.
Bristol Airport (BRS, EGGD) is at 51.3828 N, 2.7192 W. The facts table on this page gives the address, codes and runway.
Private terminals
Private terminal and handler at Bristol Airport
One handler (FBO) looks after private flights at Bristol Airport: Centreline, formerly known as Bristol Flying Centre. Its terminal is in the south-east corner of the airfield, about 1.8 miles by road from the passenger terminal.
Centreline at Bristol Airport
AddressCentreline AV Limited, Bristol Airport, Bristol, BS48 3DP, United Kingdom
HoursDescribed by Centreline as a 24 hour facility. Staffing is confirmed for your flight
Business and general aviation handling, with passenger and crew lounges, a private VIP lounge, a customs arrival area and aircraft parking close to the terminal entrance.
What the handler does on the day
The handler meets you, checks passports where the flight needs it, looks after your luggage and takes you to the aircraft. Passengers are normally handled through the general aviation facilities or a private terminal (FBO). Customs and immigration for private flights are arranged by the handler, either cleared in advance or carried out at its own terminal.
The handler is confirmed for each flight and named on your booking confirmation.
Opening hours
Bristol Airport opening hours
When the airport is open, what applies at night and why the hours are checked again for your flight.
Open 24 hours with prior permission
Bristol Airport is open 24 hours a day. Air traffic control, handling, security and customs are all published as 24 hour services. Every flight needs prior permission and a slot at any hour, and both are arranged as part of your booking.
Night rules from 23:00 to 07:00
There is no outright night curfew. Take-offs and landings between 23:00 and 07:00 local time need a prior application, a night noise quota applies from 23:30 to 06:00, and landings between 22:00 and 07:00 carry a night surcharge.
Reconfirmed for every flight
Centreline describes its Bristol terminal as a 24 hour facility but publishes no day by day timetable. We reconfirm the airport hours, the slot and the handler staffing for the date and time of every flight before it is booked.
Ground transport
Getting to and from Bristol Airport
The airport and the places passengers most often travel on to, with approximate road distances and drive times.
The table below lists road distances and drive times from Bristol Airport.
The table below lists road distances and drive times from Bristol Airport.
| From Bristol Airport to | By road | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol city centre (College Green) | 8.7 miles | about 20 minutes |
| Bristol Temple Meads station | 8.5 miles | about 20 minutes |
| Ashton Gate Stadium | 7.5 miles | about 15 minutes |
| Weston-super-Mare | 16.9 miles | about 30 minutes |
| Wells | 17.9 miles | about 25 minutes |
| Bath city centre | 19.3 miles | about 40 minutes |
The address to give your driver
Private flights use the Centreline terminal, which is on the A38 (Bristol Road) side of the airfield, the south-east side, about 1.8 miles by road from the passenger terminal (BS48 3DY). Centreline publishes the postcode BS48 3DP. We send exact directions with your booking confirmation.
Chauffeur cars to and from Bristol Airport
Chauffeur cars to and from Bristol Airport can be arranged with Executive Global Travel. A car can meet you at the handler used for your flight and take you on to your hotel, office, venue or home, or bring you to the airport for your departure.
- Meet and greet at the handler used for your flight
- Help with luggage from the building to the car
- Onward journeys to Bristol, Bath, Somerset and other airports
- Pick-up time set to your flight schedule
Chauffeur cars at Bristol Airport from Executive Global Travel
Road distances and drive times are route-planner figures without traffic, measured from the Centreline private terminal. The A38 into Bristol is slow at busy times, so allow more.
History
A short history of Bristol Airport
From a disused wartime airfield bought by the city for £55,000 to the airport at Lulsgate Bottom today.
- 1930Bristol’s first airport opens at Whitchurch on 31 May, opened by Prince George. It is only the third civil airport in the country.
- 1955After a ten-year campaign for a new city airport, Bristol Corporation buys the disused wartime airfield at Lulsgate Bottom for £55,000.
- 1957The new Bristol (Lulsgate) Airport is opened by the Duchess of Kent. It handles 33,000 passengers in its first year.
- 1997The airport is rebranded Bristol International.
- 2000A new terminal building is opened by the Princess Royal, with a Category III all-weather landing system. Passengers pass 2 million.
- 2001Macquarie and Cintra buy the airport for £198 million.
- 2022Planning permission is secured to raise the passenger cap to 12 million a year.
- 2025A £60 million public transport interchange and car park opens. On 3 November Macquarie Asset Management completes the purchase of a 55 per cent stake.
A German bomber once landed at Bristol Airport by mistake
On the night of 23 to 24 July 1941 the crew of a German Junkers Ju 88 bomber, returning from a raid on Birkenhead, landed by mistake on the unfinished wartime airfield here, then called Broadfield Down. The RAF kept the aircraft, gave it the serial EE205 and flew it.
Picture at the top of this page: Bristol Airport terminal and Control Tower, June 2025, by Captain Galaxy, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped.
Weather
Weather at Bristol Airport
What the weather is usually like for flying at Bristol Airport, and where to see it live.
Typical flying weather at Bristol
The airport stands 622 feet above sea level. The prevailing wind is south-westerly and November to March is the windiest period. Official notes warn crews of possible windshear or turbulence in strong south-easterly or westerly winds. Runway 27 has a Category III instrument landing system for days of low visibility.
How the weather is managed
The crew check the forecast for Bristol Airport and for the other end of your trip before every flight. If conditions look doubtful we tell you early and offer a different time or a nearby airport.
Live Bristol Airport weather
The weather page shows the pilot view (the current airport report and forecast), a plain passenger view for the days ahead and a live rain map. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Weather Bristol Airport: pilot view, passenger view and rain map
Questions
Bristol Airport: your questions answered
What are the opening hours of Bristol Airport?
Where is the private terminal at Bristol Airport?
How early should I arrive at Bristol Airport for a private flight?
Can helicopters land at Bristol Airport?
How far is Bristol Airport from Bristol city centre?
Is there customs and immigration at Bristol Airport?
Related pages
More about Bristol Airport and nearby airports
Flying to or from Bristol Airport?
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