Airport Snapshot: How Regional & City Airports Grew Passenger Numbers By 25%

Andrew Bell, CEO of Regional & City Airports, on the group’s latest successes and strategic opportunities for network growth during Routes World 2025 in Hong Kong.

UK airport operator RCA has experienced an uplift in passenger numbers over the last 12 months with 25% year-on-year growth, driven partly by TUI’s increased capacity at Exeter Airport (EXT). The airline based a second aircraft at EXT this summer, expanding to 50 weekly flights across 13 destinations.

March 2025 marked a historic milestone as KLM launched a daily Exeter to Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) service, bringing hub connectivity to the Southwest of England for the first time.

Jet2.com’s decision to base two aircraft at Bournemouth Airport (BOH), serving over 20 destinations and adding over 340,000 seats, has also enhanced RCA’s growth trajectory. TUI recognized BOH’s potential during its summer program, having expanded by 35% with a second based aircraft and increased frequencies across seven destinations.

Norwich Airport’s (NWI) April 2024 partnership with Ryanair introduced low-cost capacity for the first time in the airport’s history, further contributing to surging passenger numbers across the group.

Andrew Bell, CEO of Regional & City Airports, told Routes that building air connectivity and increasing frequencies is of high priority. The group is also focused on restoring a critical gap in connectivity across the United Kingdom. “One thing we are looking at, which since covid is a market that has not fully recovered, is the domestic market,” Bell revealed during Routes World 2025 in Hong Kong.

RCA’s approach to route development incorporates data-driven insights and collaboration with its core markets. “We work very closely with all three of our business communities within our regions to address the markets they want to see connected,” Bell explained.

The group also actively showcases unserved route opportunities and strengthens relationships across the route development community through its Routes 360 membership.

Regional and City Airport Group’s vision is to help smaller regional airports prosper through effective management and collaboration. The management of Bournemouth Airport, Exeter Airport, and Norwich Airport has demonstrated a strong blueprint for success.