With passenger numbers forecast to top nine million for the first time ever this year, a range of construction projects is underway to ensure facilities for passengers and business partners keep pace.
More than £200 million has been invested in infrastructure since 2010, and this looks set to continue should a planning application to increase capacity to 12 million passengers a year be approved. This growth could see the airport generating £2.4 billion for the regional economy and presents opportunities for a wide range of suppliers across South West England and South Wales.
The ‘Meet the Buyer’ event, organized in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), is part of the airport’s drive to build resilience in its supply chain and further develop already strong local connections. Delegates had the opportunity of discussing the experience of working at a busy international airport and meeting various departments to discuss business opportunities.
Bristol Airport’s Sustainability and Planning Director, Simon Earles, said:
“This is a great opportunity for us to showcase the opportunities available at Bristol Airport for local businesses in the area. It is fantastic to see the range and quality of skills on our doorstep and gives us confidence as we continue to develop and improve our facilities for customers. We already work with a number of local suppliers and companies, and last year this topped over £20 million of goods and services in the local area, we want to build on this and create further opportunities for local businesses.”
Sam Holliday, FSB Development Manager for Gloucestershire and Bristol, said:
“We were delighted to partner with the airport for this excellent event which gave FSB members from all across the South West a fantastic opportunity to meet some of the key players at this very important local business. Our members were very impressed by the airport’s willingness to listen to what they had to offer and to show genuine enthusiasm for bringing many great local SMEs into their supply chain in the future. We very much look forward to repeating the exercise in due course.”
Tags: Bristol Airport
