London Southend Airport is on the brink of a major re-development to turn it into a new, easy to use low cost airport.

Southend already handles European passenger and cargo services and is set to increase its flights and extend its range of destinations for both business and leisure passengers.

The £25m development will deliver the newest, fastest. low cost airport in the Eastern Region.

The terminal already offers fast, efficient passenger facilities with the shortest check-in times of all the London airports.

There’s a coffee shop offering light refreshments and it’s just a short, level walk from car, bus or coach for passengers to board their aircraft. The coffee shop has recently been totally refurbished and offers a new menu featuring a large selection of hand made sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes, toasties and the mighty all day breakfast! Not forgetting the vast range of freshly ground coffees.

HISTORY

Southend Airport has a rich history as a commercial and passenger airport spanning 90 years. In the 1980s it was a popular tourist airport taking passengers on the very first package holidays to Spain. Development of the new terminal and railway station will bring about the rebirth of Southend Airport.

FIRST WORLD WAR

1914 - Listed as a potential landing ground by War Office, for both R.F.C and R.N.A.S Later in this year it is taken over as a Home Defence Station!

1915 - The first confirmed flight is attributed to Flight Sub Lieutenant A.W. Robinson R.N.A.S in a Bleriot on the night of May 31st, in an attempted interception of German Army Zeppelin LZ38; however engine failure at 6,000ft forced him down.

1960's

1960 - East Anglian purchased Douglas DC3s (Dakotas) for short haul services.

1961 - The DC4 was modified to carry passengers and cargo, it was renamed Carvair. The first flight of a Carvair was on 21st June, pictured below the modified G-ANYB.

1966 - Channel Airways obtained Viscount 812s from the USA and still fly one DC4 in its fleet. The first visit of the BAC 1-11 airliner, an example owned by B.U.A.

1967 - Channel Airways purchased BAC 1-11-400s. British United Air Ferries divorced from B.U.A and became British Air Ferries Ltd (BAF) and the last BAF B170 flight from Southend in this year. Passengers using Southend Airport reached a record 692,686.

1968 - The 21st Anniversary Air Show was produced. B.E.A Vickers Vanguard are converted to all cargo spec named Merchantman by Aviation Traders Engineering Ltd and Channel Airways purchased two Trident 1E/140s.

1969 - Charters by various European airlines, such as Braathens, Martinair and LTU, continue to operate flying. Flying Tigers Airline fly a Canadair CL-44 on a direct flight from New York's JFK Airport on delivery to Transmeridian Air Cargo.

PRESENT DAY

London Southend has been privately owned by Regional Airports Limited since April 1994 and was leased from Southend Borough Council on a 150 year Lease. The Airport is staffed by around fifty people who cover Air Traffic Control, Administration, Fire, the Airport’s Freight and Cargo operation, security, fuel and aircraft handling.

The Airport is one of the largest employment sites in Southend in terms of jobs with around fifty tenant companies employing some 1,300 people between them.

London Southend’s catchment was defined in the last census as 0.8m people within 30 minutes drive time and 5.6m within 60 minutes.

Generally, the Airport with its new Railway Station and integrated Passenger Terminal, when complete, will encourage greater use of the Airport and railway in accordance with the Government’s objectives for better facilities in London and the South East within the Thames Gateway. With the railway station built, the travel time by train to London will be only 49 minutes.

Runway 06/24

5023 x 121 feet
1531 x 37 meters

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2005.
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