Airport guide
Southampton Airport (SOU, EGHI) at a glance
Southampton Airport is the airport for Southampton, 3.5 nautical miles north-north-east of the city and one nautical mile south-east of Eastleigh. It was once known as Eastleigh Aerodrome. It is not a 24 hour airport, and every private flight needs prior permission, which we arrange through the handler.
Aircraft
What can fly from Southampton Airport
Charter-A is a charter broker: we arrange private jet, air taxi and helicopter flights to and from Southampton Airport. All three can use the airport, with prior permission and within its opening hours. Here is what each one means here.
Private jets at Southampton Airport
The 1,887 m runway takes private jets from very light jets upwards. Certain jets in the heavier categories are not accepted, so we check the aircraft against the airport rules before we quote. Passengers are normally handled through the general aviation facilities or a private terminal (FBO), and arrive about 30 minutes before departure.
Air taxis at Southampton Airport
Turboprop air taxis use the same runway and the same handler as the jets. They suit small groups on shorter trips, within the UK and to nearby Europe. Jet fuel is the only fuel listed at the airport, which suits turboprops well. Passengers arrive about 30 minutes before departure.
Helicopters at Southampton Airport
Helicopters are accepted with prior permission. They land and take off on the runway itself, as the airport rules require, and are not permitted in the night period from 23:00 to 06:00 (07:30 on Sundays). Passengers arrive about 10 minutes before departure.
Airport facts
Southampton Airport facts, codes and location
The reference details for Southampton Airport, with the airfield on a satellite map. The rings are 500 and 1,000 metres from the airport reference point, the middle of the runway.
| Address | Southampton Airport, Southampton, Hampshire SO18 2NL, United Kingdom |
| ICAO code | EGHI |
| IATA code | SOU |
| Coordinates | 50.9503 N, 1.3567 W |
| Elevation | 44 feet (13 m) |
| Runway | 02/20: 1,887 m (6,191 ft) long, 36 m wide, grooved asphalt |
| Owner | AGS Airports Ltd, held by AviAlliance since 28 January 2025. Run by Southampton International Airport Ltd |
| Opening hours | Monday to Saturday 06:30 to 22:00, Sunday 07:30 to 22:00, local time. Not 24 hours |
| Customs and immigration | Available during airport hours |
| Permission and handling | Prior permission and a handling agent are required for every private flight |
Southampton Airport (SOU, EGHI) is at 50.9503 N, 1.3567 W. The facts table on this page gives the address, codes and runway.
Southampton Airport (SOU, EGHI) is at 50.9503 N, 1.3567 W. The facts table on this page gives the address, codes and runway.
Private terminals
Private terminal and handler at Southampton Airport
One handler (FBO) looks after private flights at Southampton Airport: Signature Aviation, in Hangar 2 on Mitchell Way at the northern end of the airfield, postcode SO18 2HG. The airport has no separately named private terminal.
Signature Aviation at Southampton Airport
AddressHangar 2, Mitchell Way, Southampton, Hampshire SO18 2HG, United Kingdom
Hours06:30 to 22:00 local time, call-out available on request
Passenger and crew lounges, with customs and immigration on site. Handling is mandatory at Southampton Airport and is booked before the aircraft arrives.
What the handler does on the day
The handler meets you, checks passports where the flight needs it, looks after your luggage and takes you to the aircraft by airport transport. Passengers are normally handled through the general aviation facilities or a private terminal (FBO). Give your driver Mitchell Way, SO18 2HG, which is a different postcode from the main airport address (SO18 2NL).
The handler is confirmed for each flight and named on your booking confirmation.
Opening hours
Southampton Airport opening hours
When the airport is open, what applies at night and why the hours are checked again for your flight.
Open 06:30 to 22:00, not 24 hours
Southampton Airport is not a 24 hour airport. Published hours are 06:30 to 22:00 Monday to Saturday and 07:30 to 22:00 on Sunday, local time. Flights up to 23:00 are possible by prior permission only, and every private flight needs prior permission at any hour.
Night rules at Southampton Airport
The night period runs from 23:00 to 06:00, and to 07:30 on Sundays. Helicopters and scheduled flights are not permitted in it, except in an emergency or when a flight is delayed by weather or air traffic control. Engine ground running is not allowed at night.
Reconfirmed for every flight
The airport says its hours vary with commercial needs, and they can change by official notice. Signature Aviation is staffed from 06:30 to 22:00 with call-out on request. We reconfirm airport and handler hours for the date and time of every flight before it is booked.
Ground transport
Getting to and from Southampton Airport
The airport and the places passengers most often travel on to, with approximate road distances and drive times. Southampton Airport Parkway railway station is 100 metres from the terminal building.
The table below lists road distances and drive times from Southampton Airport.
The table below lists road distances and drive times from Southampton Airport.
| From Southampton Airport to | By road | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Southampton city centre | 4.5 miles | about a quarter of an hour |
| Ocean Cruise Terminal | 5.3 miles | about a quarter of an hour |
| Hamble-le-Rice | 9.1 miles | about 20 minutes |
| Winchester Cathedral | 11.6 miles | about 20 minutes |
| Lyndhurst, New Forest | 15.2 miles | about 20 minutes |
| Portsmouth Historic Dockyard | 20.9 miles | about 30 minutes |
The address to give your driver
For a private flight, give your driver Hangar 2, Mitchell Way, Southampton SO18 2HG, the Signature Aviation building at the northern end of the airfield. The main airport postcode, SO18 2NL, leads to the passenger terminal instead. The handler is confirmed on your booking confirmation.
Chauffeur cars to and from Southampton Airport
Chauffeur cars to and from Southampton Airport can be arranged with Executive Global Travel. A car can meet you at the handler used for your flight and take you on to your ship, hotel, office or home, or bring you to the airport for your departure.
- Meet and greet at the handler used for your flight
- Help with luggage from the building to the car
- Onward journeys to the cruise terminals, Southampton, Winchester and the New Forest
- Pick-up time set to your flight schedule
Chauffeur cars at Southampton Airport from Executive Global Travel
Road distances and drive times are route-planner figures without traffic, measured from Wide Lane at the Mitchell Way end of the airport and rounded up. Allow more at busy times and on cruise ship days.
History
A short history of Southampton Airport
From the first flight of the Spitfire to a longer runway and a new owner.
- 1936On 5 March the prototype Spitfire, K5054, makes its first flight from what was then Eastleigh Aerodrome. Test pilot Joseph Summers, known as Mutt, flies it for eight minutes.
- April 2023Work starts on 3 April on a 164 m extension at the northern end of the runway, a 17 million pound project.
- September 2023The Aviation Minister officially opens the runway extension on 21 September, and a wartime Spitfire takes off from the new section.
- 2025On 28 January AviAlliance completes its purchase of AGS Airports, the group that owns Southampton, Aberdeen and Glasgow airports.
Southampton Airport is the birthplace of the Spitfire
The first Spitfire, prototype K5054, took off from this airfield on 5 March 1936 for a first flight of eight minutes. Two plaques in the terminal mark the airport as the birthplace of the Spitfire. When the runway extension was opened in September 2023, a wartime Spitfire was the aircraft chosen to take off from the new section.
Picture at the top of this page: Southampton Airport terminal building, by Bacon Noodles, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped.
Weather
Weather at Southampton Airport
What the weather is usually like for flying at Southampton Airport, and where to see it live.
Typical flying weather at Southampton
Southern England is one of the more sheltered parts of the UK. The prevailing wind is south-westerly, so about two thirds of flights use Runway 20, and the strongest winds come with winter storms from December to February. Runway 20 has an instrument landing system for days of low cloud.
How the weather is managed
The crew check the forecast for Southampton Airport and for the other end of your trip before every flight. If conditions look doubtful we tell you early and offer a different time or a nearby airport, such as Bournemouth or Farnborough.
Live Southampton Airport weather
The weather page shows the pilot view (the current airport report and forecast), a plain passenger view for the days ahead and a live rain map. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Weather Southampton Airport: pilot view, passenger view and rain map
Questions
Southampton Airport: your questions answered
What are the opening hours of Southampton Airport?
Where is the private terminal at Southampton Airport?
How early should I arrive at Southampton Airport for a private flight?
Can helicopters land at Southampton Airport?
How far is Southampton Airport from the city centre and the cruise terminals?
Is there customs and immigration at Southampton Airport?
Related pages
More about Southampton Airport and nearby airports
Flying to or from Southampton Airport?
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If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
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