A PUBLIC consultation over plans to expand the runway at Southampton Airport is now under way as revised proposals have been unveiled.

Airport bosses said the expansion of the runway by 164m could see new flights to destinations such as Cyprus, Frankfurt, Stockholm, Copenhagen,

Barcelona, Prague and Milan.

The news comes as in newly-published documents airport leaders highlighted the impact of the collapse of Flybe.

They said the current runway length “prevents many airlines from operating their fleet from the site”.

But campaigners said they continue to believe that the costs of the development to local people and the environment are outweighed by the benefits.

According to new data, without the runway extension in 2027 the aiport would have about one million passengers per annum.

But the figure could double if the plans to expand the runway go ahead.

In official documents airport bosses said: “Southampton Airport’s updated business plan estimates that the airport breaks even with 1.2million passengers per annum. Whilst some of the services previously offered by Flybe have since been picked up by other airlines, the limitation of the current runway length prevents many airlines from operating their fleet from the site which, in turn, restricts the number of airlines that are able to take up and operate the flights that Flybe previously operated from the site. In these circumstances it is considered to be highly unlikely that the level of operations that were occurring at the site prior to the collapse of Flybe could be re-established at the site without the Proposed Development.”

But a spokesperson for the Airport Expansion Opposition (AXO) said: “We accept that the loss of Flybe represents difficulties for the airport, but the documents provided on the planning site do not include actual evidence that it will go bust without the extension. The airport has been consistently pessimistic about the possibility of attracting alternative airlines to ‘backfill’ Flybe’s routes and was still claiming there was no possibility of more ‘backfill’ just two days before British Airways announced they were to offer a large number of new routes.”

According to the revised proposals the expansion will

have no significant impact on local air quality.

But “there is likely to be a direct, long-term adverse effect of moderate significance” as regards noise and vibration.

As reported, the plans have sparked concerns over the impact the runway expansion would have on pollution, noise and the environment.

A spokesperson for Southampton Airport said: “Southampton Airport has submitted additional information to Eastleigh Borough Council, which we believe will make it possible for the authority to take a decision on our critical runway plans.”

The final decision will be taken by the Eastleigh Local Area Committee at Eastleigh Borough Council.

A date is yet to be confirmed.