Senior Project Manager Mike Weeks has spent the last 4 years managing the runway extension at Southampton International Airport. The runway extension at Southampton Airport is a 164m Starter Extension, taking the runway length from 1,723m to 1,887m. The additional take off distance allows aircraft like the Airbus A320 take off from the airport fully laden with passengers and fuel. These aircraft currently operate from Southampton, but with a reduced payload (i.e. empty seats, baggage restrictions and reduced fuel, which in turn reduces the extent of available destinations). The increased runway length makes the airport commercially viable for low-cost operators, with the airport aspiring to be the airport of choice for people living to the South and West of London.