Engagement locally

The issue: Stakeholders are people and organisations who are affected or can affect a company’s business. For Southampton Airport, this includes employees, customers, local communities, suppliers, regulators and local and regional government.


These groups take a close interest in our airport operations and can shape the way our business develops. It is essential that we have good two way relationships based on dialogue and trust and understand our stakeholders’ views as we define our policies and make decisions. These different groups do not always have the same views, so we are committed to sharing the issues and dilemmas we face in reconciling different demands. We are also committed to informed debate with our stakeholders over aviation’s impacts, which is evidence-based and underpinned by robust research.

Our approach: We stay informed about the views of our stakeholders on an ongoing basis. We do this through a variety of methods to monitor the issues of greatest importance to local stakeholders, their views on the effectiveness of the steps we are taking to mitigate our impacts, and what further actions we could take to improve local quality of life.

Our performance: There are many ways in which we engage with our neighbours, including; dedicated feedback channels, conferences, committees, consultations, publications, media coverage, individual briefings and presentations to appropriate stakeholders.

The Southampton Airport Consultative Committee provides regular updates for the airport’s local communities and a forum for debating the environmental and social impacts of aviation. The committee, which meets three times a year, is independently chaired and has a wide membership including government, local authorities, the aviation industry, the local community and environmental groups.

Another key method of regular communication is the airport’s own community and stakeholder conference, to which over 250 local representatives are invited. The airport gives updates on key issues and developments, and representatives are encouraged to feed back information to the particular areas of the community that they represent. Guests at the conferences include; MPs, government organisations, regional bodies, councillors, council officers, residents association representatives and local businesses. This particular conference is held up as best practice in the region, with many local businesses attending to view the activities.

Our plans: Southampton Airport will continue to engage with its neighbours through the above methods, including a community and stakeholder conference.