Airport plans parking expansion

Bournemouth Airport said its existing parking facilities were approaching capacity

Car parking provision at Bournemouth Airport is set to be expanded to cope with an increase in passenger numbers.

The airport has submitted plans for 900 vehicle spaces, in addition to the 2,600 spaces currently available.

The application said its parking facilities would approach capacity during the summer season.

The proposals would see car parking provided on the site to the south of the runway.

Access would remain via Hurn Court Lane.

The application maintained that there would "not be any likely effects which would be deemed significant" on the local road network and traffic flows.

Earlier this year Bournemouth Airport announced it was investing more than £5m in new facilities, equipment and staff to cater for the expected growth.

The airport is projected to handle more than one million passengers in the year to March 2025, the highest figure since 2008.

In March airline and tour operator Jet2 announced it would offer flights and package holidays from the Dorset airport from next year.

Ryanair based a second aircraft at the site in 2023 and TUI's addition of a second plane flying from Bournemouth this summer added an extra 60,000 available seats.