Southampton Airport with an accompanying main line railway station is an international airport situated in the Borough of Eastleigh close to Swaythling in the city of Southampton. Cross-channel and cross-Solent ferries link the county to the Isle of Wight and European continent. The South Western Mainline railway from London to Weymouth runs through Winchester and Southampton, and the Wessex Main Line from Bristol to Portsmouth also runs through the county as does the Portsmouth Direct Line.

The M3 Motorway connects the county to London. The construction of the Twyford Down cutting near Winchester caused major controversy by cutting through a series of ancient trackways (the Dongas) and other features of archaeological significance. The M27 Motorway serves a bypass for the major conurbations and as a link to other settlements on the south coast. Other important roads include the A3, A31 and A36.The roads in the county are known for their heavy traffic, especially around Southampton and Portsmouth and the M27 and A27.

Southampton Airport

Centenary of Flight

2010 is a very special year for Southampton Airport and aviation in Hampshire, as it marks 100 years since the first ever flight at the airport.

Back in 1910, local man, Edwin Rowland Moon, triumphantly flew his homemade Moonbeam II aircraft from the fields of North Stoneham Farm which is now Southampton Airport, at a time when aircraft were in their infancy.

The Airport Today

Today the airport handles just under 2 million passengers per year and has flights to several destinations both within the UK and abroad. Flights within the UK include to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. European destinations include several airports in Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland. There are more flights to popular tourist destinations in the summer.