SOUTHAMPTON Airport has singled out Milan, Munich, Dusseldorf and Copenhagen as among its most desired new routes but management admit overseas slot constraints are thwarting operators from launching services, writes Updesh Kapur.
Airport managing director Colin Hobbs said Southampton had grown in status as a key regional airport with a throughput of 750,000 passengers last year, but is still far short of the 1.5m full-capacity figure.
“It will take another three or four years before we can look at expanding the airport,” said Hobbs.
“Growth will be determined by airlines being able to obtain slots overseas, the availability of aircraft as well as the commercial viability of a route but slots are the key issue.”
Hobbs said Southampton Airport met 70 airlines last year to look at new opportunities, with only 10 taking discussions further.
His concern about slot availability in Europe is reflected by Air France’s thwarted attempts over the last three years to introduce a third daily flight to Paris.
It has finally managed to secure slots at Charles de Gaulle Airport in March for an early morning departure from Southampton which it believes will be lucrative, connecting to more than 70 destinations in the Air France network from the French capital.
British Airways’ decision to launch a daily Frankfurt flight from Southampton on January 10 using its franchise operator British Regional Airlines is the airport’s first service to Germany, prompting moves by Lufthansa to consider the south coast airport.