BOURNEMOUTH Airport will remain a “good neighbour” while its passenger numbers increase dramatically with the aid of new Ryanair services, its boss has pledged.

Ryanair announced this week it would base a second aircraft at the Hurn site and add three new destinations to the summer schedule.

The airline expects to carry 700,000 passengers from Bournemouth in the financial year 2023-24.

Managing director Steve Gill said the growth could happen while the airport remained a good neighbour.

“We’ve got a great relationship with the local community, a strong airport consultative committee. They work with us,” he said.

“This airport was built in the position it’s in for all the right reasons so we don’t overfly large areas of densely populated conurbation.

“We’re a good neighbour and part of being an airport is providing that growth in connectivity, investment and jobs. It’s a balance and I like to think we do the right thing for this region.”

Ryanair DAC chief executive Eddie Wilson, who flew in to Bournemouth Airport to announce the new routes, said close to 50 per cent of the fleet would be new aircraft over the next two to three years.

“We’ll use new aircraft with 40 per cent less noise emissions. If you’ve ever travelled on one, it’s like being in a Tesla. It’s uncanny the lack of noise, even within the cabin as well,” he said.

“But our planes have got a lot quieter and these new aircraft that we’re taking delivery of over the next three to four years are what we call game-changer aircraft because they burn less fuel, they carry more passengers and they emit substantially less noise.”

Bournemouth Airport is on course to reach 95 per cent of its pre-Covid passenger numbers this year, with 800,000 passengers coming through its terminal.

Ryanair will be running 30 per cent more flights next summer than in 2022.

Mr Gill has called the airline’s latest announcement a “fantastic Christmas present for us and the region”.

“We see mutual opportunities in working with Europe’s number one airline and we’re absolutely delighted for this announcement to see a significant growth for this airline in this region,” he said.