BOH's objection to SOU extension
The objection by BOH and the Dorset LEP to SOU's extension was a little stronger yesterday with the argument that government money has been spent on improving roads and infrastructure taking into account the long-term 'complimentary' nature of SOU and BOH. If SOU is now able to take BOH business after the extension (with no regard to BOH's presence) they argue this is duplication within the same/similar catchment area and therefore a waste of public money & resources. This argument makes a lot of sense.
It would surprise me if this particular angle of the objection isn't used in any appeal by BOH and Dorset LEP should the extension get the go ahead.
If SOU says it's unviable in it's current state (and I don't think it is unviable), then it infers that one of the two airports in the BOH/SOU region becomes unviable with or without the extension. So it's simply moving the problem. Because if SOU extended it's runway, business would be lost from BOH which can ill afford any business to be taken away from it given it's current business activity. In the current pandemic environment the airport owner of SOU should surely be focusing on efficiency gains, cost reductions and ways to attract and grow existing airlines which would never operate from BOH - KLM for example.