Originally Posted by
Rivet Joint
Is that why two airlines were fighting over it not so long ago? I bet they were making a small amount of money on it but can make more on the wet leasing market. That is a temperamental market though. I doubt you believe that Amsterdam and Paris are the only foreign hubs sustainable from SOU?
It does have a LH codeshare which opened up a big customer base for SOU. Other airports seem to sustain LH affiliates, not sure why SOU cannot.
Regarding your last comment I also find it very strange and also very frustrating.
The catchment area for SOU and a fairly wealthy one at that should be able to support such services but I just can't understand why it doesn't.
The company I work for has seen a huge growth over the last few years with Germany now being our second biggest market WORLDWIDE after the USA with the United Kingdom taking third place as far as market share is concerned.
Although obviously the U.K. Market is the largest from the port the amount of German originating passengers actually joining cruise ships at the Port of Southampton is increasing with the majority of those passengers flying into LHR and catching the cruise shuttle coach to the port.
Having personally spoken to many of those passengers and asking where in Germany they originated it amazes me that SOU can't sustain a few more routes to Germany other than the Flybe Düsseldorf link now that we've lost BMI to Munich.
Eurowings with their Dash8's would be a good addition to SOU offering perhaps a few routes such as Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart, some could even be seasonal..but then perhaps it's too close to LHR where they operate from to those destinations.