Southampton Airport (SOU)
History, Facts and Overview

(Southampton, England)

Aircraft have used this spot to land and take off for around 100 years, although it wasn't until 1917 that an official aerodrome was established here by the US military, on the site of Stoneham Farm. Due to its coastal location, the shipping industry in Southampton quickly began to flourish and so its airport saw little development until 1932, when it became known as the Southampton Municipal Airport and played an important part in the production of Spitfire planes.

In the mid-1940s, flights were offered to Jersey, although it was during the 1960s package holiday industry when the most dramatic changes took place at Southampton Airport.


These included the addition of a long concrete runway and improvements to the terminal building, and soon after, a tall control tower was built. Southampton Airport was purchased by the British Airports Authority in 1990 and improved further, at the cost of around £30 million.

Southampton Airport (SOU) features two restaurant / bars, as well as an outlet selling snack and drinks. There is some great duty-free shopping at the World Duty Free shop, while a newsagent is also onsite. The airport features a good range of facilities, including a Barclays ATM machine and Wi-Fi Internet availability throughout the terminal.