Southend Airport’s new airport passenger terminal has been officially opened by transport secretary Justine Greening.
The new terminal already offers daily flights to Waterford with Aer Arann, but from April 2 (once the new, longer runway opens) the facility will offer 70 flights a week with Easyjet, which is basing three aircraft at the airport.
The carrier is focussing on leisure destinations such as Alicante, Faro, Ibiza, Jersey, Malaga and Majorca, though it will also serve Amsterdam, Barcelona and Belfast from Southend.
The new terminal has its own airport train station with a link to Stratford in 40 minutes and Liverpool Street in 50 minutes, and promises no more than 15 minutes “from plane to train” .
Airport CEO Alastair Welch said that the Stobart Group, which owns the airport, had overseen £100 million of private sector funds invested in the redevelopment of the airport. Possible future destinations from the airport depend on the aircraft and loads, but the new terminal could handle up to one million passengers annually, and has been built in such a way that it could be expanded to cater for double that number by 2020.
Easyjet CEO Carolyn McCall said she was delighted that Easyjet was launching flights from the airport from April 2, and said that they were viewing the airport as both inbound and outbound for the area, with the first booking being an inbound one from Amsterdam.
The new terminal - which offers complimentary wifi - also has a WHSmith airside, a Seracey’s catering Arnold & Forbes cafe and an airport shopping outlet, as well as a business lounge, which can be accessed for a fee. The lounge on the first floor has iPads, a selection of hot and cold drinks and some relaxation chairs.
In a briefing after the opening ceremony, Greening once again ruled out a third runway at Heathrow, saying there was a cross-party consensus against expansion at Heathrow. Instead she said the government would be announcing a "call for evidence" into creating a new hub airport for London.
southendairport.com
easyjet.com