I have heard it all now :eek:

Someone call the men in white coats.

The Nuts Mutts, totally agreed with your post. Alarm bells are already ringing for me. It just shows that Rigby know nothing of BOH’s true potential in the LCC and package holiday sector and are instead focusing on a deadly strategy which has been tried over and over in the past and never worked.

Jet2, easyJet, Ryanair and overseas LCC’s are the way to go and perhaps a co-operative relationship with SOU when it comes to Hub connections...

Pretty sure they’re gonna mess up the relationship with Ryanair

Jet2 may not be a bad shout, at least mid-term. They did start out at BOH in the Channel Express days. Also their next phase of expansion once BHX/STN are sorted is further south, and their product/clientele would be well matched
I'd imagine BOH would be one consideration, though it would have made more sense while MAG still owned the airport, so that LS fly from all 4 of their airports. I'd still be a bit sceptical though, considering the CEO ruled out a return to BLK, a simliar size/style airport to BOH, and now that Rigby have vested interests in both.

Property, property, property, property....everything else is an add-on

There is no comparison between BLK and BOH, BOH has many thriving aviation assets whereas BLK has none to really to talk about.

Yes and yes
 

Of course it's a huge element about property and the potential there is massive and already handed to Rigbys Real Estate division - don't assume he won't attempt to grow the air operations too or that they will automatically rangle with Ryanair - they have some experience of handling a relationship with them at Derry so it's not a given a clash of egos will happen - as for new routes and growth don't overlook the obvious - Rigby own an executive jet business - this could provide as many business destinations as you like to the list of destinations - so destination growth ldoesn't mean it needs to be full services but looks nice on a list - what isn't in doubt is the potential is there despite 'the angry men of PPRUNE with a SOU defence on everything - LC - particularly Ryanair and Package Holiday - particularly TUI - like it or not could in one swing inflate the passenger numbers way beyond growth increases in most airports overnight without any further investment in infrastructure at BOH - which at SOU is impossible without hard cash capital investment - it is potential and may always be potential - but possible - as far as access goes - always overstated as an issue , is resolved with a proper 30
Min shuttle bus from CHR and BOH stations - Luton and Bristol Manage well enough - as for roads and more building on land - local politics suggest that said Council could be running itself into deep financial issues if it continues down its local 'brexit' path of refusing to merge with BBC and Poole so would expect money to talk when it has to and a Mega Council bigger than a lot of cities will a want major trophy airport for their new status and a good guess most things will be possible.
If I were Rigby I'd be inviting in Ryan and Tui, buying the drinks and the dinner and promising no change, no pressure, but suggesting if at some point we can look at favourable expansion package to try again...

Assets aside, and comparing BLK before they went down the swanny, i beleve there was a fair comparison
# Both seaside cities with a decent sized catchment area
# Overshadowed by other local airports [BOH vs SOU (at a push LGW)] and BLK vs MAN
# Primarily bucket and spade routes
# Both had heydays pre-recession (BOH just over 1m pax, BLK just over 500k pax, both roughly halved since)

My point was, if Jet2 management would rule out a return to BLK, a 'similar outfit' such as BOH might not be the preferred place for further expansion

LOLOL :p

I also hear the loads to BGI are better out of BOH; ergo BOH is better than SOU.. :rolleyes:

Hurn BOH and Eastleigh SOU are like chalk and cheese -- they cannot be compared nor can either be expanded as to the ways we would like as many of you pontificate above

you cannot extend SOU runways without huge infrastructure changes BUT it has fabulous transport links and is almost an alternate to a LON airport for many in the south who wish to go to near europe.
- but SOU remains UFN a regional and near europe departure point with a shaky main carrier or two there with no possibility of mid or long hauls - also apron stand space is limited too - although approval I gather has been given for more expansion for extra stands? edit is this correct?

as for BOH it has awful transport links and sits out on a narrow country lane with cows in the fields opposite BUT it has a new terminal and a longer runway to enable mid/long haul flights -
again any changes/improvements to links will involve huge road and rail investment which simply is not there.

however BOH teeters from good to bad every other year and the new owners will have to breathe life back in to the airport to gain any visibility -
BOH has done itself no favours over the years with such negative passenger handling and cruel drop off charges which any customer focused owners should have shelved.

things will not change in the near term for either airports and if Flybe and BMI go the same way as Monarch then that leaves SOU open to EZY who then maybe be seen setting up a bigger base there like the SEN model.

just my tuppence but I am local to BOH (no new road, Tubbs) and have seen the comings and goings over the past 25 years or so

Congratulations, rog747, on an answer that just about totally sums up the Bournemouth situation. All of the FACTS listed in an objective & concise summary. Nothing more needs to be said. Somehow, I am sure that it will be !

Kcockayne
I agree ,a good summary,but with one essential error!.
There has been no announcement of approval for Southampton expansion.Surely this is the key point,without the expansion airside then the future is clouded.

i merely mention that i gather some extra SOU apron/stand expansion has been approved or is that a misnomer?

cheers for the comments

my first flight from Hurn was around 1977 or 1978 on a jolly to Palma on a BY 737-200 on a thomson flight (staff travel free seats) and back the next week on a free seats from Palmair on a Dan Air Comet,
although we lived in London then the seats were up for grabs and we drove down to the 'country' lol

has it changed much ? erm nooooo

Where did you hear that rog747? cheers

correct me if i am wrong but someone proffered that recently on the SOU thread - seemed to be in the know - but hey ho this is a rumour network lol

Aah DeHavilland
 

Thanks for the Comet memories, I'm not sure that your other recall is quite objective.

The airports on the south coast have all changed enormously since 1977. At EGHH for instance, some of the more significant developments:

- Like at EGHI the old wooden passenger terminal has been replaced
- There is now cat 3 runway lighting and ILS precision approach capability, plus ILS on 08
- The 440m runway extension opened in 1995, giving Hurn a longer runway than Luton, Bristol and Exeter, a big change for Hurn
- At least 4 additional apron stands suitable for B737-800 size aircraft
- Much improved Apron lighting
- New Radar and addition of SSR capability
- At least 6 new hangars, of which 2 wide body capable
- When it comes to traffic, the closure of Tarrant Rushton and the consequent relocation of the Cobham Fleet to Hurn was a milestone
- As has been the replacement of the BAC factory and the odd Tarom B707/An26, with a regular flow of airliners and corporate types using the hangars and engineering capability in the northwest sector.
- As for passenger throughput, since 77 the throughput has actually quadrupled since then.

Is there still much that could be done? Absolutely

Pity about the closure of the college of ATC too.

Great post FF.

In terms of people saying hubs were tried and failed before at BOH this is actually not correct. A hub with a major airline offering HIGH FREQUENCY connecting flights from BOH has NEVER been tried before.

Wow, words fail me.

Thank goodness for that!