TCAS FAN: Exactly what I was thinking. With the grinning goon still at the helm (it has to be a decade by now surely?) I expect the stagnant and underwhelming progress to continue. Perhaps the investment constitutes a new pencil sharpener for the office or new scented toilet blocks for the urinals? On a serious note, I am willing to bet any concrete investment will be one of the following three things:
1. A larger costa coffee or duty free shop;
2. Refresh to the toilets or security/baggage areas;
3. Improvements to the car parking.
Basically, some redecorating. The message i get is that they feel that their existing master plan is too ambitious and they are therefore going to announce a less ambitious one in the autum. This is classic
PR spin from SOU and the grinning goon (the man that takes credit for investment by network rail and the highways authority) as in fact rather than proposing credible investment they are in actually going to take their own master plan down a few notches.
If I was in charge I would be ensuring the following is now happening:
1. Royal Mail are pursuaded to sell their building to SOU. Perhaps even offer them one of the units that is planned for the north east of the airport on better rates. Not a given but if incentives are offered who knows.
2. Larger aircraft stands are built to the north east. The fact SOU can only handle 2 larger sized aircraft at the same time is both laughable and crippling. Most airports bus passengers to stands so the distance from the terminal is not an issue.
3. Build taxiways to stop aircraft having to backtrack the runway. Again this is both laughable and crippling.
4. Enlarge the runway to the north within the airport boundary. This would be to allow larger aircraft to operate without restrictions not increase their number. This would improve safety and allow aircraft to operate quieter. If this was properly explained then residents and the council would have no issue.
5. Market the land to the north east to an aircraft builder, maintenance provider or business aviation company. How many airports have the option of brand new land ready to be unlocked with direct access to a runway? Why couldn't it be used for aviation activities rather than some pointless industrial units unrelated to aviation use.
Time will tell but I look forward to winning my bet.