As many as 1,000 new jobs could be created through plans to extend the runway at Southampton airport.
The £5 million scheme to lengthen the runway by 450ft would enable the airport to provide flights to destinations such as Greece, southern Italy, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
Although there would be no increase in the size of aircraft, the addition to the runway would enable them to take off carrying a heavier load of fuel, meaning longer flights.
Airport managing director David Lees is reported by the Daily Echo in Southampton as saying the proposals could mean opening up routes to destinations as far afield as Romania and Poland.
The runway extension could be in place in five years time, subject to formal approval and securing funding, and could inject an extra £50 million into the local economy.
Passenger numbers are expected to climb from 1.7 million to 2.5 million a year over the next decade and airport bosses say their workforce will need to double to 2,000 to help cater for the demand.
But any proposal would depend on the market maintaining its strength, funding being in place and the local borough council giving planning approval.
Lees said it would mean direct flights to southern Italy – currently it is only possible to fly direct to Verona in the north of the country.
Passengers would also be able to take a four-hour flight to Greece if the runway is lengthened, while it would also open the door to flights to Scandinavia.
It comes as the airport unveiled a 5% increase in passenger numbers in February, when more than 105,805 passengers passed through the terminal in just 28 days. Massive growth is expected in coming years, with Southampton’s cruise industry blossoming and with the airport’s fast rail links to London.
Lees said: “We are talking about a starter strip adding up to 150 metres to the existing runway, which is currently just over 1,700 metres, so it would be under 10% longer. We would like to see this in the next ten years and before a major new runway is built elsewhere in the southeast. I would anticipate this could be within five to ten years.
“We are currently operating at 1.7 million passengers a year and we are having a successful year. Over the course of the next ten years that should grow to at least 2.5 million passengers.
“At the moment the airport contributes £100 million to the local economy – this plan should, over a period of time, take that figure towards £150 million.”
The investment would not mean extra costs for passengers and there would be no change to restrictions on what times of the day aircraft are allowed to take off and land, he added.
The proposals emerged as Lees was answering questions at an airport consultative committee on what impact the government’s Airports Commission proposals may have on the airport.