Originally Posted by
The Nutts Mutts
It's still a big blow for SOU though- I know that Jet2 were one of the airlines they were actively courting for operations from the new extended runway.
To finally get the extension in place only to see Jet2 set up a base down the road at their local rival airport is going to sting a bit, particularly if Jet2 are saying that they've now closed their coverage gap along the south coast- it looks like SOU has, once again, missed the boat.
It's a great little airport to fly from but it really is a case study in stagnation and missed opportunities. I've got no doubt it'll continue to plod along serving a few domestic and European routes but I think that'll be all. Whereas down the road at BOH they've expanded their cargo operation, increased scheduled flights and now gained another based operator with a large and loyal following. This is all in addition to their large number of ancillary aviation services, again something that SOU lacks (apart from Signature and Jetworks) due to a shortage of available space, compounded by poor decision-making and a lack of investment over the years.
Think it rather helps who the operator/owner of the airport is.