Southampton Airport boss warns it could shut next year if runway extension is not approved

Steve Szalay, the managing director at Southampton Airport, said he hopes a decision on the proposals to extend the runway by 164 metres could be reached before Christmas.

It comes as he warned that if the plans are rejected the airport could have to close for good next year.

More information on the scheme has been submitted to Eastleigh Borough Council as that authority will make the final decision on the plans.

A 30-day public consultation is now expected before a decision date is set.

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Mr Szalay said the expansion will allow more airlines to fly from Southampton. The airport’s main airline FlyBe collapsed this year.

Mr Szalay said the number of passengers at the airport has dropped by 89 per cent this year and said that only nine per cent of that is due to the pandemic.

‘We are suffering because of FlyBe,’ he added.

Mr Szalay said if the plans are approved the airport will be able to welcome new airlines by 2022.

He said: ‘This is not about the next 18 months. If I get the runway I can survive until 2022. If I don’t get the runway I don’t know what we do because we are not viable moving forward. If we don’t get the approval for the extension we could have to shut in 2021 because if there is no future for the business why would we limp along.’

As reported, the proposals have been met with criticisms and were not backed by some local councils such as Winchester and Southampton.

Campaigners fear the expansion of the runway will increase pollution.

But the airport said there will be mitigation measures in place and further details have now been submitted to Eastleigh Borough Council.

Eastleigh council said: ‘Council officers are expecting further information from the airport team to be submitted in early October, on receipt of which, a further 30-day public consultation period will be undertaken to allow everyone to view and submit feedback. The council will be working with stakeholders to target a committee date later this year.’