Zoom Cars begins five-year Bristol Airport taxi tender contract
- Perry Richardson
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Zoom Cars has begun a five-year contract to operate the official taxi service at Bristol Airport, taking over duties from Arrow Cars from Sunday 1 February.
The Bristol-based operator secured the tender after the airport assessed bidders on driver standards, vehicle age, environmental performance and operational resilience. The contract will see Zoom Cars provide transport for arriving passengers across Bristol, North Somerset and surrounding areas.
Zoom Cars was selected in part for its employment model and training framework, which includes support for drivers and enhanced awareness training covering vulnerable passengers and child safeguarding. The company operates a modern fleet, with many vehicles less than two years old, and has committed to transitioning to an all-electric fleet by 2030. A significant proportion of vehicles currently operating, including wheelchair-accessible cars, are already electric or hybrid.
The airport also cited the operator’s existing business accounts across Bristol as a factor in the decision, with the expectation that this could reduce empty return journeys and improve vehicle utilisation from the airport.
Family-run Bristol operator replaces Arrow Cars following tender focused on fleet standards, training and environmental commitments
Zoom Cars replaces Arrow Cars, which had operated the airport taxi concession for more than a decade. The existing taxi office on the airport forecourt, located between the Public Transport Interchange and the terminal building, is due to be refurbished and rebranded under the new operator in the coming weeks.
Passengers will be able to pre-book journeys through the Zoom Cars website, by telephone, or in person at the airport taxi office on arrival. Once booked, customers will be directed to the Drop Off and Pick Up car park on the upper level of the Public Transport Interchange, where dedicated taxi bays are located immediately outside the terminal access doors.
Founded in 2020, Zoom Cars is a family-run business established by Sahara Parvaz and her father Mohammad Parvaz, known in the local trade as Mr P, who has previously operated several large taxi firms in Bristol. The company’s management structure includes family members overseeing driver welfare, safety and compliance, and control room operations, with the majority of its drivers directly employed rather than self-employed.
Liz Macnaughton, Head of Ground Transportation at Bristol Airport said:
“We’ve had a great partnership with Arrow Cars for more than a decade. Last year we invited taxi companies to apply for the tender and Zoom Cars won that tender with their strong employee ethics and standards. We’re looking forward to working with them and hope our customers enjoy using them.”
Sahara Parvaz, Chief Executive Officer for Zoom, said: “We are incredibly excited to begin this new venture with Bristol Airport. We prioritise being on time, every time and take great pride in offering a premium service and ensuring our drivers earn a genuine living wage.”
