It is good to see SOU getting back on its feet, and we have an increasing choice steadily being added, plus the BA summer leisure flights.
Having the
KLM AMS back to a morning and an evening flight is great so you can connect there onwards with a great choice.
It would be good to see the
Air France Paris
CDG come back (KLM partner) - CDG again has huge connectivity.
KLM and AF are also a Virgin Atlantic Frequent Flyer Partner so if you want like me, to go to Manila I can use my Virgin Points to fly SOU-AMS-MNL with great connections.
I am also doing this next year for a Kenya Safari SOU-AMS-NBO/JRO.
Aer Lingus Dublin DUB could be attractive - good connections there for USA and Canada are possible, and you can usually pre-clear USA immigration at DUB too.
This is the business that hopefully will start to increase for SOU that make these feeder flights work, but with the right marketing and support of Travel Agents we would hope to see them busy.
The reason Edelweiss and Eurowings added Newquay (again) is due to the huge (seasonal) German tourist market attracted to Cornwall, in which the popular novels about Cornish life and its families penned by Rosamund Pilcher, and BBC TV's Poldark play a huge part in that attraction;
but as for LH LX or Eurowings looking at SOU, perhaps maybe they are looking and talking>?
Other ideas for new airlines (that's all we have is ''ideas'') getting attracted with a Runway extension - Well the likes of our near neighbour EU airlines surely any extension is hypothetical, and not an issue
as they have types that can fly in now -
Trouble is an A319 or an A220 are big planes to fill, likewise so is an EMB-190 with 90+ seats.
And loaded CRJ's are too slippery for SOU IIRC.
I don't see Easy Jet in the near term adding any more routes at SOU - so apart from their Winter GVA 'Ski' series (which are mirrored also out of Bournemouth) I reckon not for now.
What I do see is Ryanair steadily increasing their
Bournemouth presence (year round) which no doubt Easy Jet feels that any such in-road for them at SOU is maybe a risk too much>?
Easy Jet are not in the best of shape this year, so imminent expansions for them surely will be limited;
EZY are slowly returning to Southend SEN (just)
Thus IMHO I do not see SOU going
ORANGE anytime soon.
As for Flybe - Will we see an increase and some more destinations added ?
With utmost respect to the Poster above -
''Someone has to serve the huge Eastern European contingent''
Umm they've all gone home old chap - !
Hampshire Dorset and Devon have lost many 1000's of workers that came here for permanent and seasonal jobs.
That ship has sailed locally except for stronger contingents more in the London areas.
Again it is Ryanair though who has kept a couple of strong year round Eastern Europe destinations
from BOH, plus have added BOH-Budapest (a great leisure destination)
Will that guest worker market come back>?
Maybe if we relax work visas.
SOU could benefit from BA's domestic woes at London Airport....>?
Why not try SOU ? - This is a great time for SOU's marketing to tell folk
''we are here''
SOU are offering a good and increasing choice of UK domestic flights and to Eire and the C.I.
(Plus a great choice of BACF sunshine and leisure routes choice at weekends to France, Faro, Mykonos and Spain/Balearics. (also a BACF Edinburgh)
Only an hour on the train or less to SOU Parkway station from WATERLOO, Clapham Jctn and WOK. (OK don't mention the rail strikes LOL)
3 minute walk to check-in or security - Check-in times no more than 1 hour
or less.
Car Park is also superb and across the road from Terminal - Just off the M3 and M27.
Marketing could work with the current airlines and get this out there - Maybe offer a free rail ticket with a Full Fare flight ticket>?
It's all about
PR....
Just my Tuppence.