British Airways will stop flying from Southampton Airport from summer 2025, affecting 11 key routes. This decision raises concerns about the airport’s future and regional travel options.
Travellers from the south of England will face longer journeys to catch flights to Europe starting next year, as British Airways (BA) has announced the cessation of all routes from Southampton Airport. This decision, which will take effect from summer 2025, has prompted warnings from aviation experts about the “significant impact” on the regional air travel hub’s future.
The airline’s withdrawal will see the loss of 11 crucial routes, including popular city break destinations such as Malaga and Dublin. This move comes just four months after BA introduced new routes to Bergerac in Italy and Palma in Spain, which will also be discontinued. The airline has not provided a reason for this sudden change.
The aviation industry is expressing concern over the future of Southampton Airport, which experienced a severe decline during the pandemic, dropping to around 250,000 passengers. Although the airport saw a recovery to over 750,000 passengers last year, this figure remains significantly below the pre-pandemic annual traffic of two million passengers.
An industry expert commented, “The airline had expanded its route network in recent years, which was beneficial for Southampton passengers, but British Airways’ cancellations could leave a gap that will be difficult to fill.”
A spokesperson from Southampton Airport expressed disappointment, stating, “Clearly it’s disappointing when any route is removed. However, we are in constant dialogue with airlines regarding the introduction of new services and that includes backfilling the routes withdrawn by British Airways.”
This latest setback follows a series of challenges for Southampton Airport, including the collapse of FlyBe in 2021, which resulted in the loss of numerous routes. There is hope that other airlines, such as EasyJet, might step in to fill the void left by BA. However, the airport faces stiff competition from nearby Bournemouth Airport, which offers a wider range of budget travel options through carriers like Ryanair and Jet2.
The future of Southampton Airport now hinges on its ability to attract new airlines and routes to maintain its status as a key regional travel hub.