Well, you're certainly right about Brizzle International....
I remember when the local TV news announced the move from Whitchurch to Lulsgate. Everyone asked "Why? Surely Filton is the obvious place!".
Then they extended the runway 'for the Viscount' (yes, really!). The 'new' terminal was a nice place to have tea (one did such things back then) as for a small boy, peering out at the comings and goings of Cambrian Airways, Jersey Airlines and Aer Lingus from the large spectator gallery was fascinating. Great excitement one day when the posh new Fokker Friendship flew in!
Since then Lulsg....sorry, Bristol International has had more new terminals and traffic levels have increased. But even after the M5 was built, the facts remain that:
- Road access is very poor indeed except from the south-west or the western outskirts of Bristol - and even then the A38 is pretty dire.
- The sole 6600 ft runway cannot be extended further. There's a granite hill at one end and a cliff at the other and to bury the A38 in a tunnel would cost a fortune.
- Rail access is virtually non-existent - unless you count the 5 mile journey from the nearest station at 'Nailsea and Backwell'....
- The weather factor is poor.
Albert Memorial probably has potentially better airport road and rail access than Lulsgate has. Certainly from a new M4 junction, but as for that cart track known as the A350....
However, the main runway is shorter than the runway at Birmingham International, which is already earmarked for extension. But at least there are 2 major runways at Lyneham, a very rare commodity for many UK airports these days.