Ryanair Tops Bristol Airport's Track-Keeping Awards for the Second Time in a Row

Created: 16th May 2017

Airline tops league table for on track departure

Ryanair has topped the table in Bristol Airport’s annual Tracker Awards.  Based on flight records for 
2016, the scheme measures compliance with departure routes set up to minimise noise disturbance 
for local residents and also encourages airlines to use procedures which reduce their noise impact. 
 
Ryanair, which serves thirty one destinations from the Airport and operated over 4,000 flights during 
the twelve month period, was the only airline with over 95 percent on Departure Track Compliance 
and over 96 percent for Continuous Descent Approach.  
 
Base Captain Craig Hope of Ryanair was presented with a certificate to mark the achievement and a 
large cake to share with his fellow flight crew.  Eastern Airways were also recognised for their 
outstanding performance during 2016 for consistently improving their Continuous Descent Approach 
record in every quarter of the year.  
 
The Tracker Awards were introduced in 2013 to recognise outstanding operational performance by 
airlines at Bristol Airport, based on monitoring of compliance with noise preferential routings (NPRs). 
Continuous Descent Approaches are also encouraged, where aircraft stay higher for longer when 
approaching the airport, reducing noise and emissions for some local communities.  The league table 
format is an effective way of encouraging continuous improvement and ensuring any deviations 
from track are taken seriously.   
 
Melanie King, Environment Manager at Bristol Airport, said: 
“Ryanair had to see off strong competition from several airlines at Bristol Airport and we are 
delighted to recognise their commitment to improving their operational excellence. Initiatives like 
the Tracker Awards can only encourage further improvements which will help to minimise the noise 
impact on local communities.”