Flybe announces six new Southend routes
Flybe’s new London Southend services will provide six new routes to Rennes (France), Groningen (the Netherlands), Münster Osnabrück (Germany), Cologne Bonn (Germany), Caen Normandie (France) and Antwerp (Belgium), amounting to 102 weekly flights when fully operational, with an expected 200,000 passengers in year one of operations, rising to 700,000 in year three.
Stobart Air has also announced that to cater for this expansion, it is creating 60 new jobs based at London Southend Airport - recruitment for these new positions is now getting underway.
Services to Rennes, Groningen and Münster Osnabrück will commence on 5 June, with services to Cologne Bonn, Caen Normandie and Antwerp starting on 3 July.
Furthermore, Flybe will increase capacity on its London Southend services from 1 September, resulting in a total of 102 weekly flights on its six new routes.
This increase will include double daily return flights on services to Antwerp and Rennes, meaning business and leisure passengers can now fly in the morning and return home the same day.
Flybe aims to carry up to 700,000 passengers on its new London Southend routes within three years, starting with 200,000 passengers in year one. Flybe will also commence a 3-times weekly service to Newquay in May 2014.
London Southend Airport is Europe’s fastest growing airport, with a 57.1% rise in passenger numbers in 2013 (Airline Network News and Analysis). It was also recently recognised as the Best Airport in Britain in Which? airport passenger survey.
The airport’s ‘Simply Easier’ terminal is less than 100 paces from a brand new rail station.
It is only 53 minutes by train to Liverpool Street Station in the heart of the City of London, with up to eight services each hour at peak times. At London Southend, passengers flying out from the airport wait for a maximum of four minutes for security, whilst those arriving with just hand luggage can expect to travel from plane to train within 15 minutes of leaving the aircraft.
The new Flybe routes announced today will be operated by its franchise partner, Stobart Air, under a 10 year agreement.
Detailing the six new routes, Simon Fagan, Chief Operating Officer, Stobart Air, said “We are delighted to announce these six new London Southend routes, all of which go on sale today on www.flybe.com. Each of these new routes will resonate with both business and leisure passengers. Prices are competitive, schedules are convenient, and the airports are efficient.
From London Southend’s perspective, we will expect to deliver an extra 200,000 passengers in year one, rising to 700,000 passengers within three years. The airport’s connectivity to the centre of London, plus the positive customer experience make it attractive for both passengers and airlines.
For the 20 million people living within two hours of London Southend Airport, it presents popular new destinations. 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. We look forward to welcoming passengers on board from 5 Jun.”
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.”
