Passengers are again flying from London's sixth major airport as easyJet resumes operations to four destinations this summer. The first flight to land at London Southend Airport this year after a pause in passenger operations over the winter season arrived from Malaga on March 29th.The Essex airport, now in the city of Southend, celebrated the resumption of commercial flights with a welcoming party featuring Prosecco, cupcakes, and a taste of the airport's brand-new outlet, SKYCAFÉ. Low-cost-carrier easyJet is the first operator to return to the Southend this year, with the airport reopening several shops and amenities before the launch.
EasyJet is back with the summer sun.
Malaga is the first of several destinations the carrier brings to Southend-on-Sea. Flights to Amsterdam will operate up to four times a week from May 24th. Sunny hotspots of Faro, Portugal, and Spain's Palma de Mallorca join Malaga this year as the remaining nonstop destinations with easyJet. The airport also sees general aviation and charter traffic, with a trip to Lapland scheduled with Titan Airways.
The inbound inaugural spring flight arrived from Malaga 38 minutes late at 09:28 due to French ATC strikes. The Airbus A320-200 (registered OE-IJO) made a rapid turnaround and departed for Malaga at 10:25 with a full passenger load. The airport even set up a purpose-built selfie pop-up spot for passengers to snap photos before jetting off for spring fun.
John Upton, CEO of London Southend Airport, expressed his excitement to welcome easyJet back:
“On behalf of myself and the incredible team at London Southend, it is with great pleasure that we are once again able to do what we do best and serve our passengers, alongside our airline partner easyJet.
“We know that our passengers are our greatest advocates. That’s why we are working night and day to secure more destinations and more airline partners. We look forward to providing updates on our progress.”
This week's flight (U27007) departed Malaga just after seven this morning and landed in London ten minutes ahead of schedule at 08:40.
Four routes and counting
Low-cost-carrier easyJet was the first airline to return to Southend since the pandemic. The airline has announced four routes this summer to capitalize on leisure demand. The first to resume was Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport, which continues as a twice-weekly service.
Beginning May 1st, the airline is flying to Palma de Mallorca in the Spanish Balearic Islands four times a week. Flights depart in the morning on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
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Faro and Amsterdam are due to return on May 24th. The flight to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport will capture point-to-point demand and allow passengers to connect onward to the significant network of destinations available from Amsterdam.
The flight to Faro was previously quite a popular destination on the Portuguese Algarve for London and Essex travelers. EasyJet's UK Country Manager, Ali Gayward, expressed their excitement for flights to resume from Southend after the winter break:
“We are delighted to be flying once again from London Southend Airport this summer, providing customers with convenient direct connections to explore or relax in some of Europe’s most popular beach destinations.
"We are also pleased to have added Amsterdam as the latest route on sale from the airport with flights departing from May 24, 2023 meaning we can serve our customers from London Southend once again with more choice and great value fares."
More routes on the way?
Management at London Southend continues to seek new airline partners as it highlights its convenience and accessibility. The airport feels it can harness the power of the London aviation market; (the world's most extensive aviation system, with over 180 million passengers traveling each year) and its coastal location to attract customers. Some 8.2 million people live within one hour of the airport, with London Stratford (one of London's busiest stations) only 43 minutes away by train.
The airport is currently targeting several markets not served by airlines from London for its next steps. London Southend previously supported the operation of Flybe flights to Groningen Airport from 2014 to 2020. Flybe served more than 180,000 passengers over the life of the route. At its peak in 2018, the carrier operated up to 18 departures per week. There are no direct, scheduled services between London and Groningen in 2023.
Strasbourg is another highly targeted destination. At its peak in 2015, more than 90,000 passengers, predominantly business travelers, used the direct route to Strasbourg. The city of Strasbourg holds the formal seat of the European Parliament and hosts multiple international institutions, yet there are no current direct flights from London.
Business Development Director at Southend Airport, Nigel Mayes, highlighted just how profitable the route was previously:
“Strasbourg, as a city, holds the formal seat of the European Parliament and hosts multiple international institutions, yet there are no current direct flights from London. We want to change that.
“In 2019 alone, London to Strasbourg reached a load factor of 83%, something that we’d strive to repeat, if not surpass, with a direct route from London Southend from this winter.”
The French commune of Dinard is another untapped market for London-based passengers. There is currently no scheduled service from London to the seaside resort along the Emerald Coast, which at its peak in 2015, saw more than 86,000 passengers fly to Dinard. Over half a million passengers made the trip between 2013 to 2020, with flights as often as daily. The area is also home to Normandy's magnificent tidal island abbey, Mont Sant-Michel.
Source: Essex Echo, Aviation Source News, InYourArea,