Economic environment hasn't been too conducive towards regionals diving into new territories and airports recently. However tide ought to change soon as OXF has just installed a £4m primary and secondary radar which was one key barrier to the airlines taking the airport seriously to date. Something like £25 has been spent in the last few years modernising everything from the runway, AGL, runway, fire tenders, ILS, new terminal and now the radar - all focused on the business aviation sector to date, but now ready for the commercial side and of course the Olympics opportunities next year.
Richest part of the country, highest economic growth, no competition for an hour's drive in any direction, 5m people in that catchment, an hour down the M40 to west London and the 3rd most visited city in England outside of London - over 10 million international visitors a year. Ticks quite a few boxes - then next year there's a new rail station opening in south Kidlington - under an hour to Marylebone.
Just takes some time and quite a lot of cash!
There's EMB-190s (private jet version) coming in from time to time and with 1592m, pretty much anything that uses LCY can get in and out of OXF
Usual business-oriented near-Europe destinations obvious including Edinburgh, but also islands, niche leisure destinations where the second-home set go and hang out and the occassional one off charters like the Dublin-New York one launched today, ski flights to shorter runways etc.
Lets watch what happens!