Originally Posted by
SWBKCB
My point is airlines and routes come and go from SOU, and the view on this thread is consistently that it's the airports fault for not investing, or the airlines fault for not advertising, etc, etc
These repeated comings and goings would indicate that the routes that have operated are marginal at best. There maybe one or two odd airline choices, but this seems to be a consistent pattern at SOU. Airlines don't drop profitable routes for no reason.
Maybe the airport just is what it is - it is constrained by its location, and has LHR and LGW on its doorstep.
How do you explain the growth taking place at "London"Southend? It is pretty much a similar distance away from LHR and LGW but also has LTN and STN to compete with. Not to mention a big part of its catchment being sea! SOU has a place and that's providing a more convenient option for its affluent catchment. There is also a long list of USPs (I posted it a while ago) that create a customer base (being Europe's biggest turnaround cruise port for a start! - that's 2 million customers right there) in my opinion Southend is an example of what happens when investment is forthcoming. Hopefully now the dinasour is out the door we will see a bit of ambition (I will not hold my breath though).