Bournemouth Airport (EGHH)

Update July 2026: Largely unchanged. Hardly any traffic at this large airport. This time no personal visit from Border Force. Bliss still extremely accommodating and on the ball. Fees have gone up again (like everything in the UK) over the last two years; for just over 1.5 tonnes and two nights’ parking we paid £219. Avgas always available; currently at a rather high £2.40, i.e. about €2.81 (with the drawback you can get about €0.43 back). We again took a rental car from Enterprise on Christchurch Road, although it’s a slow operation. For the ride there it’s better not to use UBER (sometimes very expensive and drivers don’t always find Bliss), but the local taxi service "United". On arrival, Bliss helps with ordering. We again visited the area west of Bournemouth, which is truly a dream in good summer weather. As a hotel, Premier Inn Bournemouth West Cliff is recommended. According to Trip Advisor, Bournemouth Beach is the most beautiful in the UK and the fifth most beautiful in Europe. Rockwater Branksome is quite nice as a beach restaurant. Sandbanks is pure luxury. The best restaurant in the area remains Shell Bay Restaurant; be sure to book early. We also visited Lulworth Cove this time. Quite nice and great for hiking, but ultimately overhyped and too crowded on weekends. Great scenic road between East Lulworth and Corfe Castle.

Report 2024: GA is still handled during the day by the Bliss Aviation flight school; PPR is done there. VFR and IFR approaches are no problem, even with radar vectors. You should study the taxiway chart beforehand and know where Bliss is located. You can refuel 100LL there right after landing (just under £2/l). Bliss’s facilities are two portacabins, nothing more. That is really too expensive for what you get, because landing, handling, a few complimentary drinks, and 24 h parking add up to about £120 up to 1.5 tonnes, and about £160 over 1.5 tonnes. Why do it then? Because the area immediately west of Bournemouth (up to about Poole) is beautiful and offers the best sandy beaches in England. You can summon UBER precisely to Bliss’s location, which is sometimes difficult with taxis ordered by phone. Unfortunately there are no rental cars on-airport anymore, so you first have to take UBER to, for example, Enterprise in Christchurch. Ultimately only 2 stars due to the fees.