Flight Dispensations | Parish Councils Airport Association

Flight Limits and Dispensations

What are Bristol Airport's Flight Limits?

Each calendar year Bristol Airport has specific flight limits that they cannot legally exceed:

85,990 total air traffic movements
9,500 shoulder flights (between 11-11.30pm & 6-7am)
4000 night flights (between 11.30pm & 6am)

What is a Flight Dispensation?

A "flight dispensation" in the UK refers to an exception granted by the government, allowing an aircraft to operate outside of normal flight restrictions. This is usually during night hours and in exceptional circumstances like emergencies, severe weather disruptions, or prolonged air traffic control issues, where it's necessary to avoid significant passenger hardship or airport congestion. This is essentially a temporary permission to fly when normally prohibited by regulations.

Current Flight Numbers

As of 12/03/2025, the flight numbers for the year April 2024 - March 2025 were as follows:

All Flights: 67,074/ 85,990*

Shoulder Flights: 6,399/9,500*

Night Flights: 3,059/4000*

*This data is provided by AviationStack API for our friends at Eyes on Bristol Airport. More information on Eyes on Bristol Airport can be found here.