Introduction
BAA's Southampton airport, located on the UK's south coast, has been part of the BAA group since 1990, when it was acquired by the airport operator. The airport is currently the smallest of the BAA group, welcoming around 2 million passengers a year through its facilities, yet this number is
set to triple in size over the next 20 years as it aims to meets growing demand for regional air travel, and respond to the extra capacity requirements set out in the UK Goverment's 2003 White Paper: 'The Future of Air Travel'.
Since 1990, the airport has been completely redeveloped, resulting in new routes and a more attractive airport for the region's customers. After the introduction of several new routes recently, Southampton Airport now boasts a wide network destinations in mainland Europe, the Channel Islands and various cities across the UK.
15 airlines and tour operators currently offer services from the aerodrome, with the airline Flybe by far the biggest and offering the greatest number of destinations, having set up the company's regional base here.
The airport actually dates back almost a century to 1910, when Edwin Rowland Moon made a pioneering flight in his Moonbeam II aircraft. As a consquence, in 2010 the airport will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of this landmark event with a series of events and initiatives across South Hampshire - part of a year of celebrations.
Current Activities
BAA has been making serious investments in the airport, principally to ensure delivery of an improved service to passengers, whilst providing modern facilities and employing the newest technological advances. Easy access and parking are also a key element in making the passenger experience that little bit more enjoyable. Some of the most important recent improvements are:
- A £3 millon investment in Check-in facilities (3 new check-in desks, and 10 new Flybe self-service facilities) and Baggage Systems (which now function almost twice as fast and incorporate the latest security technology).
- A £250,000 investment in a redesigned security search area. The area now has two security archways instead of one, and incorporates the latest x-ray technology (ATIX). This has provided a smoother and swifter journey for passengers passing through, with 97.9% of passengers waiting no more than 5 minutes during 2008.
- Car Park number plate recognition software means passengers can now enter credit card online, and upon arrival the system will recognise your details and automatically lift the barriers.
- Car Hire Centre The airport has developed a brand new car hire centre located opposite the terminal building. The centre now houses five different car hire companies including Avis, Enterpise, Europcar, Hertz and National Alamo
- A short stay car park extension has been completed providing an additional 330 spaces, which also provided an opportunity to trial new LED lighting using only a third of the energy compared to conventional lighting systems, hence reducing CO2 emissions and costs. The airport will be implementing the lighting system during 2009.
- A £50,000 investment to install the UK's first live travel information system in an airport. The new innovative system provides live transport updates on bus, ferry, rail and road networks across the south, aiming to help passengers with their onward journeys from the airport.
- A new footbridge at the Southampton Airport Parkway Rail Station, providing a covered walkway, as well as lift access.
The Future
The 'Vision for the Future' master plan outlines the airport's detailed intensions regarding expansion over the next 20 or so years, with growth likely to come from the strength of the airport's catchment area and the development of new routes - particularly to business cities in Europe.
Passenger numbers are forecast to increase to around 3 million passengers a year by 2015, and
6 million passengers by 2030, with passenger aircraft movements are anticipated to more than double from present numbers to 96,300 in 2030.
Benefits
In 2007 Southampton airport traffic grew by 2.8% on the previous year, to
2.0 million passengers. This helped generate
revenues of 35 million euros, up 6.7% on the previous year, whilst closing the year with 12.3 million euros of EBITDA.
Customer Service
Southampton Airport is an award winning regional airport and through its master plan sets how it aims to maintain this position in the future.
- ACI Airport People Award
Excellent customer service is one of the top priorities for the airport. During 2008, the airport was named as the European Winner of the ACI (Airports Council International) Airport People Award, for developing a strong customer service culture across the entire airport community.The airport was given the award as one of the top performing airports in the Airport Service Quality Survey (ASQ). The survey captures passengers views of 34 different airport service factors, from check-in through to departure at the gate. In 2007, almost 200,000 passengers and 90 airports from around the world took part in the quarterly airport surveys, and Southampton Airport was voted top in Europe for having the most courteous and helpful airport, airline and security staff.The airport continuously researches customer perceptions through its Quality of Service Monitor (QSM) survey, which involves interviews with over 3,500 passengers per year. The feedback is used to prioritise investment in facilities and staff.
- Airport Ambassadors
A team of Airport Ambassadors proactively approach passengers to offer help and support, using the latest mobile technology (iPod, iTouch) to answer passenger enquiries. The technology is being trialled by the Southampton team on behalf of all 7 of BAA's UK airports.Using WiFi technology, the Ambassadors can provide the most up-to-date information available from the next train time to weather forecasts at the passengers destination. The team are also providing a welcoming service for passengers arriving in Southampton, giving advice on local attractions and events around the region.
Destinations
Services to
46 different destinations are offered at Southampton:
| The top ten international destinations are:1. Paris
2. Dublin
3. Amsterdam
4. Alicante
5. Malaga
6. Bergerac
7. Dusseldorf
8. Hanover
9. Limoges
10. Majorca |
The top five UK destinations are:1. Edinburgh
2. Manchester
3. Glasgow
4. Jersey
5. Guernsey |
For more destinations, please see the complete route map in the
brochure accompanying the Breeze Through Campaign.
