Bournemouth Airport has welcomed its one millionth passenger in 2024 as it looks forward to even bigger growth next year.

The milestone was marked in style as the millionth passenger was surprised with champagne and flowers by Steve Gill, the airport’s managing director, and customer service director Cathy Hicks.

Lisa Gray and her partner Paul arrived on a flight from Faro in Portugal to the surprise reception.

“We love Bournemouth Airport,” said Lisa.

“It’s our local airport, we live three miles away. It’s super easy and super friendly.”

It’s the first time since 2008 that the airport will see more than a million passengers in a year and follows a bumper summer season.

Between April and October, 840,210 passengers used Bournemouth Airport – up almost 103,000 on the same period last year.

Steve said: “We’re thrilled to see Bournemouth Airport becoming increasingly popular as the premier airport on the South Coast and a great alternative to the busy London hubs.

“More and more people are recognising the convenience and ease of travelling from their local airport, and with the exciting developments underway, we’re looking forward to an even wider range of destinations in the year ahead.”

Several operators have announced expansions at the airport over the past year.

TUI based a second aircraft in Bournemouth this summer; Ryanair will be starting flights to Crete, Rhodes and Fuerteventura; and Jet2 is set to launch 20 new routes from February 2025 across Europe, the Canary Islands, and the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, the airport itself is undergoing a multimillion-pound enhancement programme led by its owners, Regional and City Airports.

As well as passengers, Bournemouth is a key air cargo hub for ecommerce and helps support the region’s aviation sector with pilot training, military operations and the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft.

The neighbouring Aviation Business Park is also home to more than 200 national and international businesses.

• bournemouthairport.com