When are major works on extending the runway scheduled to begin ? If nobody knows, it means it's not happening any time soon
Major means lots of people on site... not one man at an entrance gate watching a few CCTV cameras

None initially, I think a few here will be disappointed, as it might be a laborious process with maybe just a random W pattern but time will tell.

Many U.K. airports have runways longer than what is proposed at SOU and they are struggling. As SEN has found out those that put down roots don’t always stay.

I refer you to Stewyb's post 834, may answer your question? Certainly not tomorrow, but its happening.

Infrastructure projects hardly ever come in on time and / or on budget.

If I were a prospective user of the extended runway I think I'd give it a miss until the back end of 2023, or more likely spring 2024.

Didn't Azzura operate A320s 10-15 years ago from Southampton to some sun destinations? Were they heavily load restricted?

By comparison with other airports’ development projects this is hardly mega.

A case of 164x37metres of paved surface, four extra edge lights, insetting five centreline/approach lights, insetting the current 150 metre approach lighting crossbar, relocating/replacing the RWY 02 runway-end lights, adding a few turning area blue edge lights and installing a (pre-fabricated?) blast fence.

Additionally, possibly a re-aligned perimeter track for use by airside ops vehicles?

Unless there is an issue with the gas pipeline which runs east/west adjacent to the northern airport boundary, cannot see the potential for any significant project delay/overrun, unless the current record dry weather is followed by a monsoon!

The cost will go up by at least 13% due to predicted inflation.

Unless of course a fixed price Contract has already been negotiated! (I'm not saying it has, but that's a bit of a unfounded statement, unless you know different)

Who won the contract then to do the work?

This is a speculative assumption and is not based on any real facts.In addition the country's worsening financial state surely will impact on family holidays abroad in 2023/24.
Therefore I don't expect any short term arrivals of airlines like easy etc. As stated before existing airlines payloads will be improved in adverse conditions

Speculative no, facts yes, sorry to disappoint!!

Yes, A320's flew in and out for Spanair to Tenerife with a Tech stop outward at Nantes. Sorry no records of Azzura.
Spanair also used the Mad-Dog 83 as did Centennial LAC and Oasis (Palma)

Currently EZY use the A319 (that has derated engines) and the A320ceo on their GVA Ski flights - a short sector but has had occasional payload issues I heard.
Volotea have used the 319 for PMI and IBZ in the past -
I gather again occasional tech stops needed - previously they used the Boeing 717 (was the MD-95)

The most popular large aircraft seen at SOU on holiday IT's in the past was the 737-300 and 400, plus the 757-200.

You really should know better to respond to this user by now. It’s a shame this forum doesn’t allow you to block seeing posts from certain users. Imagine spending your time posting nothing but negative posts on a forum about an airport you have an apparent irrational dislike for yet using a username that’s linked to that airport’s runway. Oh and for those who don’t know it’s been the same stuck record for years now. Yes years of the same copied and pasted negative posts. The mind boggles.

Anyway, good news that the works should be starting soon. For all those posting past quotes about the runways potential limiting factors even with the extension, it wasn’t long ago that everyone thought Embraer 190 sized aircraft couldn’t be parked on the stands adjacent to the runway. Guess what, the airport made some changes and now a whole bunch of them are parked on those stands over the weekend without any affect on the runway. Things change.

No idea (others may have more info), I just thought it was a bit assumptive to state that costs will go up. If the Airport owners have a professional procurement team (who know how to drive down pricing on competitive bids) this could well not be the case!

I can only give you the example of Luton. Here a deal was signed by the airport owner to build a 2km link between the airports railway station and the terminal. The deal was valued at £225m. It is over a year late and the cost has risen to close to £300m. I doubt the company that wins the SOU contract will be locked into a price, as all building projects seem to go over budget.

With inflation set to be at 13% and the country going into a deep recession I would expect SOU to hold off starting any work, as interest rates on borrowed money could be substantial due to ever increasing base rates.

There's every chance the runway work will not be done for a while given the bleak recession announcement.

Cheers Rog. I thought they had been used in the past but wasn't sure regarding the load restrictions.

It wasn’t the airport that made the changes it was ICAO who reduced the runway strip width for a Code 3/4 runway from 150 metres to 140 metres. The outer edge of the strip is where the 1:7 transitional surface starts (often referred to as the side-slope), which should be obstacle free.

The problem was that the tail fin penetrated the 1:7 slope. It may still do so to a minor extent, if so the CAA appears to have accepted this as a permitted (temporary) obstacle.

It's not an announcement it's a forecast!

If everyone follows the current media-driven over-hyping of doom and gloom ahead, then it becomes a self-fulflilling prophecy. Maybe that's what people want....

Hopefully the Airport will take the longer term view.

Britannia 757s flew direct Tenerife, with the exception of I believe two southbound sectors when, due to headwinds, they had to make tech stops.