Europe’s largest regional airline, Flybe, has announced six new routes to be operated by Stobart Air from Southend Airport.
The new services will carry an expected 200,000 passengers in the first year, to destinations in Europe: Rennes (France), Groningen (the Netherlands), Münster Osnabrück (Germany), Cologne Bonn (Germany), Caen Normandie (France) and Antwerp (Belgium).
Once fully operational, the new routes will mean a combined total of 102 new flights each week at Southend Airport and will serve an expected 700,000 passengers in the third year of operating. Flights to Rennes, Groningen and Münster Osnabrück will commence on 5 June 2013, with services to Cologne Bonn, Caen Normandie and Antwerp starting on 3 July 2013.
Flybe will also commence running a 3-times weekly service to Newquay from Southend Aiport in May 2014.
Southend Airport is Europe’s fastest growing airport, with a 57.1% rise in passenger numbers in 2013 and has also recently been recognised as the Best Airport in Britain in a Which? airport passenger survey. 60 new jobs based at Southend Airport have been created to cater for this latest expansion.
Detailing the six new routes, Simon Fagan, Chief Operating Officer of Stobart Air, said: “We are delighted to announce these six new London Southend routes. Prices are competitive, schedules are convenient, and the airports are efficient. The availability of daily return services on some of the routes means people can do a day’s business and be back home that evening.”
London Southend Airport Managing Director, Roger Clements, said: “This is fantastic news and perfect timing as we celebrate the completion of our terminal extension. We are convinced it is our unique, high standard of customer service that is responsible for London Southend becoming so popular over the past 12 months, and we are delighted to now be able to offer an even wider variety of destinations for business and leisure travellers, all year round. It is also fantastic that new jobs are being created, which is another economic boost we are bringing to the local area.”
Over £120 million has been invested in Southend Airport by owners Stobart Group since it was acquired in 2008. New facilities include a train station on the London Liverpool Street line, an air traffic control tower, terminal building, runway extension and a 4-star Holiday Inn. To support the airport’s rapid growth, work on a £10 million extension to the terminal has just been completed.
Southend Airport currently has departures each week to destinations including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Faro, Ibiza, Krakow, Malaga, Tenerife and Venice with easyJet. Aer Lingus also runs three daily return services between London Southend and Dublin.
Update 15/04/14: A week after announcing the new routes, Flybe has cancelled the new route from Southend Airport to Cologne, citing fears of competition from rivals Ryanair who have announced a route from Stansted Airport to Cologne. Customers who have already booked tickets for the cancelled route will be refunded.