Airports without air bridge?
 

Hello

I'm trying to help someone with a project that requires information on airports which have large scale operations and don't use air bridges for most of there operations.

Thanks for helping.

Depends how you define large scale. London City (LCY) moved over 4million passengers last year. Not a single air bridge - deliberate policy not to build them.

LTN - 13 million and not an airbridge in sight

Luton is the largest surely in UK, EMA hasn't got any, has Bristol?

No airbridge at Bristol, but all the fittings in place on walkaway ready to attach one when required.

Liverpool i dont think

Malta just under 5mpa served by Emariates so wide body

Aberdeen. does not seem to need them.

Stansted has airbridges but they seem to be used very rarely!

I don't think I've ever seen an airbridge used at STN and I've been using it regularly since about 2001!

SEN and PIK, while not major airports, don't have air bridges either, nor does INV.

Nor does BRR

Edi_local

The air bridges at STN are in use every day and quite frequently by the likes of Easyjet, Pegasus, Thomas Cook, Thomson, etc.

List of UK airports that have airbridges are,

London Heathrow
London Gatwick
London Stansted
Cardiff
Birmingham
Manchester
Leeds/Bradford
Newcastle
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Belfast City
Belfast International

I have personally never used an airbridge at STN in about 40 odd flights from there and can honestly not tell you the last time I saw an aircraft using one there either. Granted I usually use FR (I've used a bridge at other airports with FR, mainly BSL and once at LGW), but I've certainly used EZY a lot from there too and not once has it been on a jetty.

I'm not denying they are used, but if it is daily then clearly I was just unlucky.

Belfast City has one jetbridge gate too.

Pegasus and Easyjet do not use jet bridges at STN, neither do Ryanair, but then the majority of their flights are from sat 3, which was built specially for them without bridges, less cost.

BA, TCX, TOM, BY, ZT and most other ailrlines that can accept them use them at STN

The Charter/Low Cost Terminal 3 at CDG doesn't have airbridges

Some airlines specifically don't want airbridges, these are normally low cost / leisure carriers who seek to reduce turn round time by embarking and disembarking from front and rear stairs simultaneously,

The old Doha airport (OTBD) had no airbridges and pushed over 21 million passengers p.a through before closing in May 2014. Not to mention every gate was a bussing gate so it was a nightmare if you were stuck on the far side of the airfield!

-HD-

Check any destination that FR uses - they won't pay for airbridges. I can add personally SXF, WMI. The new gates at AMS were built specially for low cost carriers without airbridges

:E

Only large scale ops in BRR is moving sand and water.

Been there - liked it.

Berlin SXF
Jeddah

Thessaloniki (LGTS) with around 5 million pax does not have any air bridges either.

Muscat,although new terminal (all air bridge) is under construction

The fact that Ryanair doesn't use airbridges at Airport X doesn't necessarily mean there aren't any. Cf Stansted, for example.

Ajaccio. Small but busy. No airbridges.

Ryanair do use airbridges at various airports across their network.

And those where they don't, it's nothing to do with cost, there's usually no additional cost - it's more due to time constraints.

One of those is Malaga :)

Mr Angry From Purley

Berlin SXF does have a few airbridges but the likes of Easyet and Ryanair do not use them at SXF.

Turning the question around, why does easyJet use the airbridges at GVA presumably requiring longer turn around times? Is it a local airport rule that says that pax may not walk on the apron?

Hasn't it opened yet!?

Don't carriers get charged extra for using an airbridge? Also as stated elsewhere there's a fight going on between Delta and Qatar about the inaugural A380 service into ATL having to use steps because a 320 was parked on the allocated stand. That must be a first for a 380 having to use steps.

From a personal perspective, at many airports I prefer to be bused in. LHR T2 and Bangkok (VTBS) are prime examples. Both can have 35 minute+ 'strolls' after deplaning, whereas a relatively short bus ride takes you almost directly to immigration.

"Aberdeen. does not seem to need them."

It damn well does - especially in winter.....

Depends on the airport, but a lot of airports don't charge extra for airbridges.

Either way, you have to pay for air stairs to be provided if you don't pay for an airbridge :ok: