Bristol Airport is returning to normal after a chaotic weekend that saw all flights suspended due to a runway defect. Operations resumed at 8am on Saturday, but the backlog caused significant delays and long queues.
Runway defect halts all flights
On Friday evening, all operations at Bristol Airport were suspended after a defect was found on the runway. This led to all flights being cancelled or diverted to other UK airports, including Cardiff, Birmingham, Southend, and Newcastle.
Passengers due to land in Bristol were redirected, with some landing as far north as Newcastle. The airport apologised for the disruption, stating that the safety of passengers and staff was paramount.
Passenger experiences
One passenger from Cardiff reported a three-hour delay on Saturday morning, describing scenes of people sprawled on the floor. Karen Price from Porthcawl was diverted to Southend while flying from Krakow, saying the lack of information was the worst part.
A Bristol Airport spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry to customers affected and any impact this has had to their summer holiday. The safety of passengers and staff is of paramount importance, which is why we made the decision to temporarily suspend flights as a precaution and to allow for the runway repair to be carried out.”
By Sunday morning, the online departures board showed flights taking off on time.
