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A traveler at Bristol Airport expressed surprise at a short-haul flight listed to depart from the south west aviation hub to Exeter Airport in the adjacent county.
Sheemek Said Mesabih shared a photo of the departure board on the Facebook group Dull Men’s Club, accompanied by the caption: “Currently at Bristol Airport, waiting for my perpetually delayed flight to Amsterdam. Interestingly, I noticed a flight heading to Exeter on the screen.”
“Is this the shortest domestic flight in the UK? Disprove me if you can. The distance between Bristol and Exeter is approximately 56 miles in a straight line. How much time does the flight take?”
The Aurigny flight takes 35 minutes in the air. On a day without traffic, it would take approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to drive the same distance.
The West Country flight, which lasts for thirty minutes, serves as the second part of a longer, two-hour journey between Guernsey and Exeter. This trip often makes a stop in Bristol before continuing to or from the Channel Islands. Unfortunately, it is not possible to book this flight separately.
A representative from Aurigny Air Service stated that their flights between Guernsey, Exeter, and Bristol operate in a triangular pattern, with passengers staying on the plane during the Bristol to Exeter leg. They do not offer individual tickets for the Exeter to Bristol route.
At the moment, the shortest scheduled flight route in the world is operated by Scottish airline Loganair. The journey spans 1.7 miles from Westray to Papa Westray in the Orkney Islands and takes only 90 seconds.
Listed with holiday hotspots including Tenerife, Paris and Rome, the short-haul flight path left social media users “baffled”, with over 1,000 comments on the post since Friday (2 February).
A user expressed their shock by stating that the flight scheduling is a prime example of foolishness. They emphasized that the time it takes to travel from Bristol to the airport, wait for the flight, fly to Exeter, navigate through the airport, and drive to the city is equivalent to taking a direct train to Exeter, having a meal, attending a meeting, and beginning the journey back home.
Another individual stated that the Bristol to Exeter route exemplifies the disappointing state of short-haul flights. This is completely unacceptable, especially when taking into account the well-developed rail and road transportation systems connecting the two cities.
Some who are knowledgeable about the region disagreed, stating that due to the poor road conditions, it would take 8 months to drive 56 miles. They suggested that a 30-minute flight would be a much better option.
Source: independent.co.uk
