Southampton news/rumors

[jfriday]

Does anybody know of anything happening at Southampton. I think that it's going to be a busy summer at SOU with all the expansion from flybe.

I know that Flybe were supposed to be getting two RJ100s to be based at SOU for the summer season, but there is talk that the Jetx Md82 would be around for a bit longer due to problems with the Rjs.

It will be interesting to see how the airport copes this summer with its limited ramp space and terminal, will their be any more expansion with regards to the actual facilities at the airport?

Anyway, does anybody know of any expansion from an airline other than Flybe, because it is getting a bit predictable, i think there is still significant potential for new routes to continental Europe, i can think of Barcelona. Venice, Valencia, Amsterdam (scot airway's fares are so high), Palma, Faro and Rome.

[aeulad]

I would say SOU has many scheduled markets not yet served.

Almeria
Barcelona
Budapest
Copenhagen
Dubrovnik
Durham Tees Valley
Faro
Florence
Geneva
Humberside
Jerez
Milan
Montpellier
Naples
Nice
Palma
Prague
Rome
Shannon
Split
Tenerife
Valencia
Venice

I know some of these have been tried before, however, there still exists some kind of market, with the right aircraft and operator.

Regards

Mike

[jfriday]

I was thinking that perhaps the airport should follow the lead of others and change their name to Southampton & Portsmouth! It might encourage more tourists from overseas or even increase business traffic.

[Richard Taylor]

T3 today launched a new direct ABZ-SOU-ABZ service,to compliment the existing services that route via NCL.

New flight with a Saab 2000.

:O

[Smokie]

Here FlyBe are looking at EGHI - OLBA with a Bus.;)

[loveJet]

jfriday

Scotairways fares too high>? then fly with Thomsonfly from Bournemouth and save a fortune. Not only that but fly in a decent B737 which won't be affected by the slightest weather problem.

[jfriday]

Scot airways' is mainly a business airline meaning their fares are always expensive. The lowest price i could find for SOU-AMS is £152, and that is flying at really strange times of the day.

I think that there will always be for demand for flights from SOU, and if BAA got their act toghther and built some more stands, an airline using 737s or similar could easily fill them up.

[eurostar builder]

jfriday

Why would anybody consider those routes you mentioned from Southampton with this much competition

Barcelona - From Bournemouth (Well Girona) with RYR

Velencia - From Bournemouth with Thomsonfly

Amsterdam - - From Bournemouth with Thomsonfly

Palma - From Bournemouth with Thomsonfly and Palmair

Faro- From Bournemouth with Thomsonfly and palmair

and cheaper car parking too.........

I think naming the Airport "Southampton and Portsmouth" would definatly put passengers off.

[loveJet]

here here eurostar builder.

Lets just hope TOM launch more flights to prevent SOU from pluggin gaps in Europe.

I don't mean this to sound petty - just that low fares are a mith at SOU and BOH is the only real airport able to give low costs thus low fares to consumers.

Sou and Boh could compliment each other so long as routes are not on head-to-head basis

[aeulad]

I have to disagree with you on that one guys. Identical routes exist from the likes of NCL and MME, EDI and GLA, MAN and LPL, LBA and MAN, EMA and DSA, CWL and BRS etc etc to the likes of Amsterdam and Palma. If Malaga and Alicante can be flown from both BOH and SOU then why would these other potential routes not stand a chance??? There is absolutely a market for these routes from both BOH and SOU. Flybe has been established at SOU for some time now and they have an excellent reputation locally, Thomsonfly have started well, but do not have as much market awareness as BE. TOM will be successful at BOH I don't doubt, but SOU is an independent airport, and so is Bournemouth, there is room for two.

Regards

Mike

[jfriday]

Lovejet,

I don't know why you think low fares are a myth at Sou, Flybe's are often comparable with Easyjet's etc... certainly on domestic routes anyway. Ba's are normally quite reasonable too.

Eurostar Bulider, Why do you think a new name would put people off?

[Trislander]

I can't see any reason why someone would choose to fly out of BOH over SOU on the same route unless they find a significantly cheaper fare or more convenient schedules. SOU is much easier to get to from all over southern UK whether it be by personal or public transport. BOH is miles off the beaten track and quite frankly the facilities are Mickey Mouse.

[FLYboh]

Trislander,

The majority of passengers arive at airports via cars. BOH is at the end of a long road that starts to the west of london and although the hard surface your vehicle travels on changes name three times, its still basically the same route.

Also to say that BOH is harder to get to than SOU is pretty stupid when you take into account that people do actually live to the west of SOU and would find BOH closer and more convenient.

Lets just see how long the Flybe services last from SOU with solid competition from BOH. It will be very interesting to see the passenger loads over the summer and of course, next winter will see which of the airports will win out over all.

Re aeulads comments. The airports you mentioned don't have to also compete with Gatwick and Heathrow. This fact is why BOH and SOU will never be major UK airports. They can only fight over the scraps left by the big boys.

I think that in a few years, if things keep going as they are, BOH will handle 2 or 2.5 million low fare & charter passengers. While SOU will revert back to mostly business & domestic routes from Flybe, still on their low fare basis.

[aeulad]

Bull FLYboh!

This has not happened with CWL/BRS, NCL/MME, MAN/LPL etc etc, you are being very BOH biased. I really don't think you know what you're on about:rolleyes:

Regards

Mike

[GrahamK]

How are the Air Berlin flights doing?

[MerchantVenturer]

CAA stats show the following monthly pax numbers on Southampton-Paderborn which I believe is the route to which you refer.

November 2004 1988
December 2004 2191
January 2005 1405
February 2005 1422

If you know the number of monthly rotations (which I don't) the average loads can easily be established.

[eurostar builder]

The Air Berlin is three days a week
Tuesday Thursday and Saturday

I stand to be corrected.
............................................................ ................................................
Re Transport at Bournemouth
I am believe that the Local bus service is to run 1/2 hourly from
end of march.
............................................................ ............................................

re
<I think that in a few years, if things keep going as they are, <BOH. will handle 2 or 2.5 million low fare & charter passengers. <While SOU will revert back to mostly business & domestic routes <from Flybe, still on their low fare basis.

This sounds most likely set up.
............................................................ ................................................
Dont forget that Flybe only got grips at Southampton because Ryanair brought Buzz and cancelled all those flights from Bournemouth and that Flybe Jumped in to do them from Southampton.

[FLYboh]

aeulad,

Bull and regards, how lucky am I?

Your point doesn't hold water as all the examples you give don't have to compete with the 2 biggest UK airports. Heathrow and Gatwick really skew the ability of BOH & SOU to make a go of things.

Everyone knows that SOU has many constraints upon it, the runway for a start. BOH can sort out access, thats easy. SOU will never be allowed to lengthen the runway. If SOU was such an attractive option for airlines then Ryanair and Thomsonfly would move up the road.

It is you that needs to be a little less biased. I have never said that BOH is better that SOU. I have only pointed out the probable future for the 2 airports. If you can't handle that then thats your problem.

Regards :ok:

[GrahamK]

If SOU was such an attractive option for airlines then Ryanair and Thomsonfly would move up the road.

But you could say if BOH was so great, why did Ryanair not keep going with the planned base at BOH by Buzz?
;)

[FLYboh]

Because as FR said at the time 'it's not in our plans,'

But they certainly weren't interested in SOU, I wonder why?

[Trislander]

Because BOH is cheap!!

If BOH was a more attractive option for the airlines then ScotAirways, BACX, Eastern Airways, Flybe, Air Berlin, Skybus, Aer Arran, Aurigny, VLM and Brit Air would be using it!

:rolleyes:

[phil_2405]

Because BOH is cheap!!

Is Bournemouth cheap?

[Yankee]

This is all getting a bit too much us and them. I have been around the Bournemouth area for quite some time, too long in fact, and have seen both the ups and downs of both airports over the years.
There is no doubt that Sot on is better situated and longs for the benefit of Bournemouth’s larger acreage to accommodate a longer runway. It might still come, but it will be a tight fit and not at all welcomed by those living right under the approaches. If Sot on did get its longer runway it would have a very detrimental affect on Bournemouth. Southampton can now only be viable as a commercial airport where as Bournemouth has a large acreage for business/aviation use/income.
I have often thought it a great pity that the idea floated by Sot on’s one time owner Peter De Savoury never saw the light of day. He was at one time interested in buying Bournemouth Airport as well as Sot on. I believe his one time plan was to keep Sot on as a much smaller but Business Mans airport and sell off or develop the rest of the land as a business park and develop Bournemouth as the IT and more long distance Airport for the Area, at the same time redeveloping a lot of what is now SSSI land as a golf course and leisure site.
History has shown over many years, not just the Buzz fiasco, that in general Bournemouth has shown the potential for developing flights only to see Sot on grab the limelight once Bournemouth has shown the demand.
Truth is that neither Airport is best suited for a true regional airport for the area, Bournemouth is not in the ideal place and Southampton is too hemmed in. Both should now have a part to play in the future transport policy for the area and I believe a plan similar to De Savoury’s would work. Let Southampton develop within it’s existing boundaries to serve the business high yield and leisure market it can handle and develop Bournemouth to handle the LLC, higher capacity IT and longer haul markets. Not the best solution I know but a good British compromise. Now if we had gone for the 1960’s plan of a South Coast Portsmouth Regional airport on reclaimed land

[terrier21]

Your point doesn't hold water as all the examples you give don't have to compete with the 2 biggest UK airports. Heathrow and Gatwick really skew the ability of BOH & SOU to make a go of things.

How can this not hold water with BRS/CWL??!!

Brs is in competition with not only LGW/LHR but also EXT/BHX/CWL

Everyone knows that SOU has many constraints upon it, the runway for a start. BOH can sort out access, thats easy. SOU will never be allowed to lengthen the runway.

How many times have we heard on threads how our 2011 m runway limits us? We have no near train station and the roads to the airport are not brilliant!!

If we can do it anyone can!!!

[saman]

I'd love to know what Flybe are planning for the SOU-TLS route for the summer. It seems to be thrice weekly at the moment having been absent for the winter.

Having used it several times, SOU is really quick and easy from the travellers point of view - a shortish and quick walk from plane to hire car.

I just wish the departure lounge bar would stock some decent British beer rather than tasteless lager! Passengers - especially ex-pats - like a decent beer afore they leave Blighty's turf and Kronikburg or Bud doesn't some how make the grade! And lovely Gales Ales are only just down the road!

[FLYboh]

Well said Yankee,

Don't think I agree with the SSSI being developed into a golf course, hardly environmentally friendly.

The other posters on this thread obviously haven't read the aviation white paper that indicates BOH could be handling 8 million by 2030. While SOU handles 4 or 5 million.

Don't forget BOH will handle nearly 1.5million on a full 12 month period and thats just with whats been announced. TOM could be adding a 3rd aircraft as soon as this summer due to good forward bookings. That would add a further 240,000 to that total.

You guys at SOU are sooooo touchy!

[eurostar builder]

One thing last seems forgotten

When Bournemouth gets the passenger figures they need they get the New Terminal They NEED.


Then what......

[Yankee]

Flyboh

When the golf course and other development ideas were floated there wasn't any SSSI land, that's all been created in the not too distant past. I just wonder how much value was knocked of the Airport when that lot was created. At one time the whole North Eastern sector and beyond was open for development. Now whether it would ever have been passed by the planners is another matter.

[liquid sunshine]

Fly boh as a bus driver at LHR but living on the South coast I follow the fortunes of both airports with great interest. Southampton has one thing going for it that BOH can never match and that is the fact it is owned by BAA plc and the huge bags of money they possess. If the managment of BAA decided to seriously expand SOU then it would be a serious if not fatal blow to BOH. If the finances were right I cannot imagine why TOM etc would want to fly from BOH as the communications to SOU are far superior. Don't kid yourself that a few nimbys or a railway yard would get in the way of BAA. They have very expensive lawyers and at the end of the day money talks. They have built a solid foundation at SOU but it just remains to be seen whether there is the will to plough money into SOU when LHR & LGW are the main revenue earners. If not BOh may be able to capitalise on their lack of foresight.:confused:

[TJ747]

HI THERE,

I know SOU and BOH both have charter flights running in the summer but do you think a small charter carrier op 1 flt a day all year round would get enough custom.

Not sure what loads are like at SOU but its a busy little airport.

What you guys think

Cheers

TJ747

[Gaza]

If BOH wants to play in the same game as SOU it really needs to get some decent domestic services. Flybe have proved there is demand with EDI going 5x per day in competition to BA's 3/4x a day.

I am amazed that no one serves EDI out of BOH yet. FR to PIK is not an option for most people as it is a pig of a journey to get to Edinburgh. Living on the Poole/Bournemouth border I can reach SOU easily in 35 minutes. BOH is only 10-15 minutes.

[FLYboh]

The charters from SOU have been reduced over the last few years and I think I'm correct in saying that they don't have a winter charter market.

Thomson have returned to BOH along with the opening of the TOM base. They are using capacity on slower days of the week to carry charter passengers as well as loco passengers.

Will be interesting to see if Thomson will remain at SOU for summer 2006.

Gaza,

I think this is where SOU can do really well. With the good transport links and frequent schedule using smaller aircraft the airlines (like Flybe) can make a killing. The airlines that use BOH are trying to fill larger aircraft and the demand is only for 1 daily rotation. So this makes domestic services harder but suits the international market. SOU is the business persons airport and always will be. BOH is much more suited to holiday traffic.

[Dash-7 lover]

Don't think that SOU can take any more services owing to the poor performance because of stand shortages and lack of handling staff. Some days are pathetic!

I think BOH will benefit......

[liquid sunshine]

Dash 7 lover,

Handling agents are appointed by the airlines with only limited input from the airport operator so you need to look to the airlines and ask what they are doing about poor standards of service at Southampton if that is the case !!