EasyJet has announced plans to relaunch its base at London Southend Airport, five years after the base was closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As my report from back in 2011 details the carrier originally launched a base at Southend in 2012, following the opening of the airport’s new terminal building and extended runway.
In August 2020 easyJet confirmed it would close its bases at Stansted, Southend and Newcastle as a result of Covid-19, but the airline resumed flights from Southend in May 2022, and currently flies from the airport to destinations including Amsterdam, Paris CDG, Faro, Geneva, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca.
The relaunched base at Southend will see three 186-seat A320 neo aircraft being based at the airport from March 2025, with six new routes to Pisa, Gran Canaria, Dalaman, Antalya, Marrakech and Enfidha.
EasyJet added that more routes would be announced “in the coming weeks”.
The low-cost carrier is currently the only scheduled airline serving Southend (Bulgaria’s BH Air is launching charter flights to Burgas next month). Ryanair ceased flights from Southend in November 2021.
Aeroitalia had been due to launch flights between Southend and Milan Bergamo this spring, with other undiclosed routes set to follow. But the plans were dropped in February before the route had launched.
Commenting on the news John Upton , CEO of London Southend Airport, said:
“We’re thrilled to welcome an easyJet base to London Southend, supporting and creating hundreds of jobs locally as well as convenient, new and returning connections to many popular leisure and city destinations.
“This move is indicative of the demand from people in the east of London, Essex and the wider East Anglia region who now have greater opportunities to choose to travel through our well connected, quick and easy airport. easyJet passengers will start their holiday sooner at London Southend as they relax and discover our award-winning terminal experience.
“Our dedicated on-site rail station is less than one hour from central London; only 43 minutes from Stratford, London with connections to the Elizabeth Line; and only 100 paces from the terminal door.”