Flying out to Spanish destinations like Malaga, Murcia and Palma, BAA Southampton Airport has witnessed an expansion in passenger numbers typical of the recent boom in regional airports.

Responding to huge demand for flights to European destinations from tourists and overseas homeowners, the expansion of the south coast hub has made travel and property investment abroad easier than ever for Brits.

With over 40 per cent of UK citizens revealing their willingness to consider buying property abroad – largely in Spain – in a recent survey from the Yorkshire Bank, building big regional transport hubs across the country has become a necessity.

A spokesperson for BAA Southampton Airport highlighted the three million people living in the Southampton area, saying: “Southampton Airport currently serves 47 destinations with 14 airline and tour operator partners, providing an efficient service for its 1.9 million passengers a year.”

She added that the airport “offers a range of carriers including Flybe, a low-cost carrier, as well as niche business carriers such as Eastern Airways and Blue Islands,” allowing the site to “provide choice and convenience for local people”.

Regional airports like Southampton have become popular with those who do not live in London and wish to avoid the stress – especially acute for families with young children – of traipsing through the capital en route to a major flight centre.