First Bus is to resume a vital service to Bristol Airport after a two-year suspension. The A3, which runs from Weston-super-Mare to the airport, will get back running again from Sunday, April 3.
The hourly service goes from Weston train station to Bristol Airport, via Worle Sainsbury's, Station Road in Congresbury, and the Lord Nelson in Cleeve. The first bus leaves Weston at 3.05am each day, while the last service leaves at 11.05pm.
Coming the other way, the first service of the day leaves at 4.10am. The last bus of the day leaves the airport at 00.10am.
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Liz Macnaughton, the commercial manager of ground transport at Bristol Airport, said: “We are delighted to see the return of the Weston Flyer service ahead of the busy Easter getaway.
"We are seeing an increase in customers travelling and the service has been missed by customers and colleagues alike. The restart of the service further demonstrates our commitment to providing alternatives to the car when travelling to and from Bristol Airport.”
Tickets for the airport service also include free travel on a connecting bus - so if you need to get another Weston inner zone service into the town centre, you can just buy the Flyer ticket on that connecting service rather than buying a separate ticket. Airport staff will benefit from discounted fares on the Flyer, too.
The news will provide a boost to travellers ahead of the Easter and summer holidays. With travel restrictions having been eased, people could be heading for their first trip abroad since covid struck.
The A2 service, meanwhile, remains suspended until at least the end of September. First and the Airport took the decision last year to merge that service, which connected Bristol Bus Station with the Airport, with the A1, which connected the Airport and Temple Meads. The A1 therefore continues to run from the Airport to the Bus Station via Temple Meads.
Later in April, a number of bus services in Bristol will be cut down due to staffing issues. First blamed this on covid-19 sickness absences, though the firm is also known to be struggling to recruit drivers.
