It is located 74 miles 66 chains (120.4 km) down the line from London Waterloo and is adjacent to Southampton Airport.

The station opened with different structures as the Atlantic Park Hostel Halt in 1929, built by the Southern Railway and closed before the 1950s.

In 1966, many of the present parts were built and services were resumed by British Rail as Southampton Airport (1966).

Designed as a park-and-ride or Parkway station, facilities available include a ticket office, toilets, coffee shop, waiting area, and car parking.

Additionally, lobbying was done to keep the station as a stop on all major routes in the service pattern, which was successful.