Post by Bob on Jul 30, 2011 7:45:59 GMT 1
From next spring, one of Europe's largest airlines will be flying out a small airport in south-east England. BBC News' Susannah Cullinane went to London Southend Airport in Essex to find out more about the deal.
There are very few people on the 08:32 train from Liverpool Street to London Southend Airport's new £12m rail terminal.
A quick glance at the neighbouring Stansted Express shows it to be comparatively overflowing - or at least carrying more people per carriage than the one person in mine.
But from next April, Southend Airport - a 50-minute train journey from Liverpool Street compared to Stansted's 46 minutes - will be the departure point for 70 EasyJet flights a week.
The Stobart Group, which owns the airport, aims to have two million passengers a year passing through its terminal by 2020.
Aer Arann and Flybe already operate from Southend, offering flights to Ireland and Jersey, but EasyJet will massively extend the airport's reach.
The airline has announced it will fly from Southend to Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Malaga and Majorca in Spain, as well as Belfast, Amsterdam and Faro in Portugal.
The deal means Southend be the sixth airport serving south-east England to offer flights to mainland Europe, alongside Stansted, Heathrow, Gatwick, London City and Luton airports.
The new railway station is just a 100 metres from the new terminal building
There are very few people on the 08:32 train from Liverpool Street to London Southend Airport's new £12m rail terminal.
A quick glance at the neighbouring Stansted Express shows it to be comparatively overflowing - or at least carrying more people per carriage than the one person in mine.
But from next April, Southend Airport - a 50-minute train journey from Liverpool Street compared to Stansted's 46 minutes - will be the departure point for 70 EasyJet flights a week.
The Stobart Group, which owns the airport, aims to have two million passengers a year passing through its terminal by 2020.
Aer Arann and Flybe already operate from Southend, offering flights to Ireland and Jersey, but EasyJet will massively extend the airport's reach.
The airline has announced it will fly from Southend to Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Malaga and Majorca in Spain, as well as Belfast, Amsterdam and Faro in Portugal.
The deal means Southend be the sixth airport serving south-east England to offer flights to mainland Europe, alongside Stansted, Heathrow, Gatwick, London City and Luton airports.
The new railway station is just a 100 metres from the new terminal building