Southampton-2
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Ladies and Gentlemen - Straight from the horse's mouth - SOU airport posted on their Facebook this morning -
Quote:
Another great reason to #LoveSouthamptonAirport
An extra bit of runway won't mean larger aircraft, it will simply enable airline operators to use their planes more efficiently, which would spell out more exciting destinations for business and pleasure!
Show your support for SOU by visiting http://bit.ly/35mrZ3f and leaving a comment.
We won't operate any larger or nosier aircraft than we do now....Extra runway will simply allow us to use existing size aircraft so you can fly further to more destinations.
- Unquote
So it seems there you have it.
I think this gives a much clearer picture as to what SOU is at last hopeful to be working to and as to which airlines they may seek to come to SOU.
Existing A319/A320, maybe the A320Neo too? will hopefully be able to operate economically to say - Malaga, Faro, and possibly Greece and the Canaries with a workable payload, without the need for a Tech stop under normal conditions.
(Have we had a Neo in yet on the GVA?)
Be minded that EZY are disposing of their A319's in due course.
IMHO I doubt we will see the Boeing 737-800NG, 737M -8 200, 737M -8 or 9 or 10, nor any A321 size aircraft at SOU.
These leaves Ryanair and Jet2 both out of the frame, together with TUI, & say Enter Air and Smartwings who both operate IT charters for UK Tour Operators.
The 737-700 or 737M - 7 (149 or 172 pax) could be ideal but the -700 is too old now, and the new MAX-7 is still grounded, and no one has ordered it in Europe...
(link is the PPA to the Council)
I have purposefully left out Flybe (Virgin Connect) here as we have no idea as to their fleet (and new aircraft procurement) and their business plans for SOU, either for leisure/sun/ski, or businessman flights.
Quote:
Another great reason to #LoveSouthamptonAirport
An extra bit of runway won't mean larger aircraft, it will simply enable airline operators to use their planes more efficiently, which would spell out more exciting destinations for business and pleasure!
Show your support for SOU by visiting http://bit.ly/35mrZ3f and leaving a comment.
We won't operate any larger or nosier aircraft than we do now....Extra runway will simply allow us to use existing size aircraft so you can fly further to more destinations.
- Unquote
So it seems there you have it.
I think this gives a much clearer picture as to what SOU is at last hopeful to be working to and as to which airlines they may seek to come to SOU.
Existing A319/A320, maybe the A320Neo too? will hopefully be able to operate economically to say - Malaga, Faro, and possibly Greece and the Canaries with a workable payload, without the need for a Tech stop under normal conditions.
(Have we had a Neo in yet on the GVA?)
Be minded that EZY are disposing of their A319's in due course.
IMHO I doubt we will see the Boeing 737-800NG, 737M -8 200, 737M -8 or 9 or 10, nor any A321 size aircraft at SOU.
These leaves Ryanair and Jet2 both out of the frame, together with TUI, & say Enter Air and Smartwings who both operate IT charters for UK Tour Operators.
The 737-700 or 737M - 7 (149 or 172 pax) could be ideal but the -700 is too old now, and the new MAX-7 is still grounded, and no one has ordered it in Europe...
(link is the PPA to the Council)
I have purposefully left out Flybe (Virgin Connect) here as we have no idea as to their fleet (and new aircraft procurement) and their business plans for SOU, either for leisure/sun/ski, or businessman flights.
It can realistically only be Orange to be brutally frank - plus Virgin Connect if they decide SOU is in their jet fleet expansion plans.
As for charters will we see Volotea (A319/B717) continue on the TUI charters to Palma? (IBZ was dropped, and BE op TUI's MAH with a jet-prop)
As for charters will we see Volotea (A319/B717) continue on the TUI charters to Palma? (IBZ was dropped, and BE op TUI's MAH with a jet-prop)
Show your support for SOU by visiting http://bit.ly/35mrZ3f and leaving a comment.
Some of the objectors comments are simply ill-informed scaremongering 
Ladies and Gentlemen - Straight from the horse's mouth - SOU airport posted on their Facebook this morning -
Quote:
Another great reason to #LoveSouthamptonAirport
An extra bit of runway won't mean larger aircraft, it will simply enable airline operators to use their planes more efficiently, which would spell out more exciting destinations for business and pleasure!
Show your support for SOU by visiting http://bit.ly/35mrZ3f and leaving a comment.
We won't operate any larger or nosier aircraft than we do now....Extra runway will simply allow us to use existing size aircraft so you can fly further to more destinations.
- Unquote.
Quote:
Another great reason to #LoveSouthamptonAirport
An extra bit of runway won't mean larger aircraft, it will simply enable airline operators to use their planes more efficiently, which would spell out more exciting destinations for business and pleasure!
Show your support for SOU by visiting http://bit.ly/35mrZ3f and leaving a comment.
We won't operate any larger or nosier aircraft than we do now....Extra runway will simply allow us to use existing size aircraft so you can fly further to more destinations.
- Unquote.
Merry Christmas to all our readers, let’s hope that the forthcoming decade will show continued investment to permit the airport to achieve its full potential.
Last edited by TCAS FAN; 15th Dec 2019 at 17:16. Reason: Rewording
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In any other business serious questions would be asked about why and how the airport Paxs continues to decline drastically month after month! It seems that all hope is put on turning things around on a proposed 164 Mtr starter strip.Even if the strip is approved,it's going to take a long time to get back to the heady 2 million paxs of past years.As for 3 million in the next few years,well SOU will need to attract and more importantly KEEP future airlines.
In any other business serious questions would be asked about why and how the airport Paxs continues to decline drastically month after month!
Hence the proposal to allow airlines to operate longer routes more effectively.
With the improved RWY 20 take-off obstacle environment when the tree work is completed, together with the northern extension I would ask the question "Are Virgin Connect going to be able to anything meaningful with ther de-rated E175s?".
Is there anyone out there with access to take-off performance charts to ascertain whether the summer sun routes, or something with a similar sector length could be operated with economic loads using the E175s?
Is there anyone out there with access to take-off performance charts to ascertain whether the summer sun routes, or something with a similar sector length could be operated with economic loads using the E175s?
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With the improved RWY 20 take-off obstacle environment when the tree work is completed, together with the northern extension I would ask the question "Are Virgin Connect going to be able to anything meaningful with ther de-rated E175s?".
Is there anyone out there with access to take-off performance charts to ascertain whether the summer sun routes, or something with a similar sector length could be operated with economic loads using the E175s?
Is there anyone out there with access to take-off performance charts to ascertain whether the summer sun routes, or something with a similar sector length could be operated with economic loads using the E175s?
There seems to be a reluctance to commit real money to kick start shovel ready work. Is that because the airlines are feeding back they are not interested, or it is not enough to make the airport a commercially viable proposition?
I have a lot of affection for SOU, I used to commute between GCI and SOU when I was employed by AirUK.
It's sad to see it's current decline.
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Good points raised,points that some contributors to this blog should seriously consider.The fact is the airport has a tough job attracting operators for Sun routes with a viable BOU just down the road!
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I Have to agree and guess we will only know the answer to this after the master plan has been approved. I will probably get shot down as a SOU hater (im far from it) but you have to ask yourself is the extension really going to attract the men in orange??
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With respect, I'd disagree with that statement, as the airport owners stand ready to commit millions of pounds on a runway extension. This is of course subject to planning permission, so isn't in their power to deliver at the moment, but if they get approval I'd expect to see work commence rapidly.
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The largest pax losses were seen on routes to Spain, Portugal, Netherlands and Ireland. Rennes and Limoges were not operated in October this year compared to last year.
Otherwise on domestics the airport didn’t fair too badly - Guernsey was up by over 5,000 pax which is a huge increase and shows where SOU’s strengths are.
For the month SOU handled 142,607 compared to 171,037 which is still a large number of passengers. 12-month rolling total is 1,825,000. This is not a small number...other airports would kill for this!
Otherwise on domestics the airport didn’t fair too badly - Guernsey was up by over 5,000 pax which is a huge increase and shows where SOU’s strengths are.
For the month SOU handled 142,607 compared to 171,037 which is still a large number of passengers. 12-month rolling total is 1,825,000. This is not a small number...other airports would kill for this!
Last edited by Sharklet_321; 17th Dec 2019 at 20:21.
Guernsey was up by over 5,000 pax which is a huge increase and shows where SOU’s strengths are.
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Flight shaming and environmental concerns will be the death of domestic air travel. Unless they work on electric aircraft for ultra short haul flying pretty soon then I don’t see how this changes. SOU needs to get out of this reliance on domestic - hence the need for a runway extension. If LHR’s third runway gets delayed then SOU has an even stronger case environmentally to make more efficient use of its existing runway.
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Delay on R3 at LHR by ‘at least 12 months’ has to be good news for the airports expansion plans. Another 10 years or more of over capacity in London will mean the South East will look to gap fill elsewhere, even in these climate change times!