BOURNEMOUTH Airport is excited to welcome an influx of passengers this summer.

May is traditionally the beginning of summer flights to holiday destinations.

The Dorset-based airport has been gearing up to help holidaymakers reach their destinations.

The airport, which was ranked in the top three UK airports for customer service last year, has a total of 37 destinations in 19 countries for 2024, with more seats on offer than ever before.

This year, the airport expects to handle more than one million passengers for the first time since 2008.

Travel company, TUI offers summer flights to Corfu, Crete, Kefalonia, Rhodes, Zante, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Menorca, Antalya, and Dalaman all taking off in May.

TUI has also added a second aircraft and 60,000 seats this summer along with year-round flights to Tenerife.

Aviation conglomerate, Ryanair also offers flights to cultural countries such as Zadar, Bergerac, and Carcassonne.

Another new service, to Agadir in Morocco, started in April, along with seasonal flights to Budapest, Venice, Girona, Majorca, and Murcia in March, all running until late October.

The service also offers trips to Malta, Krakow, Wroclaw, Faro, Edinburgh, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Malaga, and Tenerife.

News also broke this year that Jet2 and Jet2 Holidays announced 16 new holiday destinations for 2025.

This came after the news that Bournemouth Airport was chosen as Jet2s 12th UK base airport.

From April 2025, Jet2 will fly from Bournemouth to 16 destinations from 27 flights a week by two planes and employing 100 staff.

The airport's continued growth means owners of Regional & City Airports are investing around £5m this year in upgrading facilities.

Steve Gill, managing director of Bournemouth Airport, said: "The airport continues to go from strength to strength, with TUI's second aircraft based here this summer, new routes from Ryanair, and the arrival of Jet2 next year all offering even more choice to local people.

“I would like to thank everyone who has chosen to travel with us this year and we look forward to welcoming you to Bournemouth Airport."

To view the full Bournemouth schedule, visit the airport's website.