Flitefone: I will take your word for it plus it does seem plausible. As I said I think the fact they own the Fokkers means they can make a route with low numbers work hence why they can touch these airports. I don't see Bournemouth being included though. I also agree that FR or EZY would not operate AMS from BOH but as I said BOH does not do business as a long history of failure will testify to so therefore any expansion will have to be leisure led. We will have to see after winter how BOH does but I have a hunch there simply isn't enough yield there for even the low cost operators to operate year round. The only threat to BE is themselves, they have nearly taken their company to the wall by buying an aircraft (175) they never needed and that undermines a piece of kit (q400) that has made them who they are. This decision can only be rivalled in the insanity stakes by the posters on here who think BOH has never had a chance to shine.
I have taken the liberty to paste part of an earlier post I sent about a year ago and although fairly flippant I think the gist remains: -
Southampton
:
The cruise capital of northern Europe with 4 cruise terminals and therefore thousands embarking/disembarking daily (indeed recently 30,000 people in one day). Also head office of many of the cruise companies and base for staff transfer (upwards of 800 per ship).
One of the biggest oil refineries in England.
The second biggest container port in the country and the biggest exporter of vehicles in the whole of UK.
2 universities with one of them being in the top 10 of the whole country and being a national leader in various high end fields. Even internationally recognised in some areas! Thousands of Asian students come year round.
The best art collection outside London.
The home of the biggest boat show in the UK.
Massively multicultural population.
History wise the airport and city are closely associated with the Spitfire and of course Southampton is where the Titanic set sail from so big draws for tourists.
Also has a royal naval base and many army and RAF bases close by.
Home of a premiership football team with the biggest stadium on the south coast.
The airport has a modern upmarket terminal with a security fast track probably only bettered by LCY and of course is bordered by the main motorway to London and has the closest plane to train distance in the UK.
Also outside the big London airports and Manchester it has the highest number of passengers on nearly all its domestic routes than any other UK airport (200,000 yearly alone on the Edinburgh route – I make that pretty much a ¼ of Bournemouth’s total yearly volume!)
Now Bournemouth......................... 
It has a beach?
SWBCK: You win first prize for hitting the nail on the head. Unfortunately the lunacy will carry on in this thread and i'm giving it a few weeks to a month before someone poses the question of why someone doesn't try operating an A380 to Mogadishu from BOH? Come on guys BOH just hasn't been given a chance, I think it could work
