Originally Posted by
Albert Hall
I think you will see something more very soon, but don’t get too excited. If that’s to be the lot from easyJet, the airport must be sorely disappointed. The more I hear, the more it looks like easyJet are only in SOU as a spoiler in an effort to deter anyone else growing there and it becoming a threat to Gatwick.
If you are assuming that "easyjet are only in SOU as a spoiler in an effort to deter anyone else growing there and it becoming a threat to Gatwick" then surely they would have started routes that currently don't have any existing operators.
The measly summer season of flights to Alicante and Faro aren't really a long-term threat to Gatwick nor is competing with Aer Lingus or Loganair at SOU. Regardless of what routes they announce, SOU will never be a threat to LGW. The likes of AGP, ALC, FAO, IBZ, PMI can easily exist at SOU without ever becoming a threat to LGW.
I get the impression that easyJet is just cherry-picking the routes rather than seeing SOU as a real threat to LGW. A very small airport such as SOU with under one million passengers is not really a threat to LGW with nearly 50 million passengers p/a. SOU is almost two hours away from LGW and is able to attract passengers without it being a threat to LGW, especially considering the large operation by easyjet based at that airport.
I don't necessarily think that easyJet is at SOU as a true spoiler. They are operating the routes because they feel that there is a demand not because they want to spoil any further competition.
As my previous post's show, I've never been over optimistic regarding any real expansion at SOU from easyJet. If they were that intent on growing at SOU, I think they would have announced by now more routes than they currently have. After all, they have had every opportunity to do so, but all we have so far is ALC, BFS, FAO, GLA, plus the existing GVA.
Hopefully, as you and others have mentioned, easyJet will announce further routes from SOU in the coming weeks.
People are saying "small steps" or something similar. Well, those steps are certainly small.