SOUTHAMPTON
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Hampshire
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Airlines are not interested in Southampton quite simply because it isnt fit for purpose.
Stands too small, runway too short, aircraft having to backtrack due to lack of taxiway.
Why not turn it into a business park and have a massive expansion at Bournmouth??
Stands too small, runway too short, aircraft having to backtrack due to lack of taxiway.
Why not turn it into a business park and have a massive expansion at Bournmouth??
Errr, because SOU is very good from an accessibility point-of-view (rail, road, both far far better than BOH will ever be) and is also nearer than BOH to some affluent catchment areas.
I agree that operationally it is very restricted (and for more reasons than you mention), but the average pax who knows nothing about aviation doesnt care about this.
I agree that operationally it is very restricted (and for more reasons than you mention), but the average pax who knows nothing about aviation doesnt care about this.
Join Date: Apr 2007
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If its so wonderful then how can an airline that has a virtual monopoly on operations there make such a pigs ear of it?? Or does that say more about Flybe than the airport?
And its nothing to do with what passengers think, its how successful, or not, it actually is.
And its nothing to do with what passengers think, its how successful, or not, it actually is.
SOU and BOH are each owned by competing private companies. Neither will want to hand their business over to a rival for free. Govt is not about to pay £100m+ to compensate for intended change of use. There are simply far too many entrenched interests who would demand far too much money for SOU to be closed, never mind the monopoly issue
If an airport can pull in over 1m pax per year, there are likely good reasons for the airport remaining in place, regardless of issues that may exist.
If an airport can pull in over 1m pax per year, there are likely good reasons for the airport remaining in place, regardless of issues that may exist.
Centre Cities
Problem with BEE's 175s is that they are underpowered, a choice that BEE made presumably on operating costs, rather than use the higher powered engine variants. Take the engines off their 195s, bolt them on the 175s, job done, Malaga, Faro etc here we come!
As I mentioned in my 28 January post, problem is not just the current runway length its " the close-in obstacle problems (mainly trees near Mansbridge".
SOU has two runway 20 Type A take-off charts, one climbing straight ahead towards the hill, and another making a right turn after take-off to avoid the hill. The latter is worth around 1-2 tonnes extra take-off weight when I last checked performance charts. Due to the close proximity of trees (Marhill Copse I believe is the name of their location) to the end of the runway many aircraft cannot take advantage of the angled take-off path. Remove the offending trees and they can. From my previous rants you will see that this was part of my 20+ years of frustration working for "the world class airport group" who's priority appeared to be more focused on world class terminal toilets.
Problem with BEE's 175s is that they are underpowered, a choice that BEE made presumably on operating costs, rather than use the higher powered engine variants. Take the engines off their 195s, bolt them on the 175s, job done, Malaga, Faro etc here we come!
As I mentioned in my 28 January post, problem is not just the current runway length its " the close-in obstacle problems (mainly trees near Mansbridge".
SOU has two runway 20 Type A take-off charts, one climbing straight ahead towards the hill, and another making a right turn after take-off to avoid the hill. The latter is worth around 1-2 tonnes extra take-off weight when I last checked performance charts. Due to the close proximity of trees (Marhill Copse I believe is the name of their location) to the end of the runway many aircraft cannot take advantage of the angled take-off path. Remove the offending trees and they can. From my previous rants you will see that this was part of my 20+ years of frustration working for "the world class airport group" who's priority appeared to be more focused on world class terminal toilets.
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Airlines are not interested in Southampton quite simply because it isnt fit for purpose.
Stands too small, runway too short, aircraft having to backtrack due to lack of taxiway.
Why not turn it into a business park and have a massive expansion at Bournmouth??
Stands too small, runway too short, aircraft having to backtrack due to lack of taxiway.
Why not turn it into a business park and have a massive expansion at Bournmouth??
From November 1944 the airfield took over from Bristol's Whitchurch airport as the main operating base for British Overseas Airways Corporation until Heathrow fully opened in 1948. Starting in October 1945 Hurn served as London's transatlantic airport until Heathrow opened to the airlines in mid-1946. It was the starting point of the first England-Australia landplane service, which took three days in Avro Lancastrians (modified Lancaster bombers). The airport served Accra, Cairo, Calcutta, Johannesburg, New York, Sydney and Washington D.C.
Join Date: Apr 2002
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If its so wonderful then how can an airline that has a virtual monopoly on operations there make such a pigs ear of it?? Or does that say more about Flybe than the airport?
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: bournemouth
Age: 54
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Flybe are operating a charter for Neilson / Thomas Cook from Southampton to Lleida this winter every Sunday as well.
The only difference, is that flight times this winter are about 20 mins later than those you mentioned.
SOU 0750 ILD 1120 BE9917
ILD 1205 SOU 1335 BE9918
If anyone knows a way to book a seat on this flight without buying a 7-night holiday, please tell me - I've spent ages on the phone to Neilson, Thomas Cook and Flybe in an attempt to get a seat but to no avail
The only difference, is that flight times this winter are about 20 mins later than those you mentioned.
SOU 0750 ILD 1120 BE9917
ILD 1205 SOU 1335 BE9918
If anyone knows a way to book a seat on this flight without buying a 7-night holiday, please tell me - I've spent ages on the phone to Neilson, Thomas Cook and Flybe in an attempt to get a seat but to no avail
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Southampton, U.K
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One thing I find interesting is despite the reasonably well off catchment area there is only one route to Italy from SOU. Verona appears to be doing very well too having been increased from weekly in 2010-12 to 2x last year and it will be 3x this year. This has been helped by the various tour operators that sell seats/packages to Verona and Lake Garda.
The Palmair Italian routes from BOH always used to do well, and newmarket are also doing well from there with the limited number of flights/packages they offer. I guess the chances of additional Italian routes from SOU has been slimmed significantly by Flybe's decision to ditch the E195's in favour of the more efficient but underpowered E175's. Still, I would think the likes of FCO, MXP, NAP, PSA, VCE would be viable a few times per week, especially with the backing of a tour operator or two.
As for who could operate them Flybe might look at MXP/VCE as they are not much further than VRN. However I do wonder if Volotea would look into operating from SOU, as it seems to suit their business plan of operating 'secondary' european routes away from the major loco competition. They could also look at operating some of the sun routes which will be dropped from October.
The Palmair Italian routes from BOH always used to do well, and newmarket are also doing well from there with the limited number of flights/packages they offer. I guess the chances of additional Italian routes from SOU has been slimmed significantly by Flybe's decision to ditch the E195's in favour of the more efficient but underpowered E175's. Still, I would think the likes of FCO, MXP, NAP, PSA, VCE would be viable a few times per week, especially with the backing of a tour operator or two.
As for who could operate them Flybe might look at MXP/VCE as they are not much further than VRN. However I do wonder if Volotea would look into operating from SOU, as it seems to suit their business plan of operating 'secondary' european routes away from the major loco competition. They could also look at operating some of the sun routes which will be dropped from October.
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Southampton
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Volotea
I too was thinking along the same lines regarding Volotea, that is just the type of airline SOU needs to replace Flybe on their sun routes along with additional routes as you suggested.
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Southampton
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Volotea
Although we are aware that Volotea are flying on behalf of Thomson this summer from SOU to Palma the point we were making was that this was the perfect sort of airline that could work on a scheduled basis from SOU, if you look at their route map you will understand what we meant.
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: bournemouth
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