London Southend Airport

London Southend Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Stobart Group
Operator London Southend Airport Company Ltd.
Serves Southend, Essex
and East London areas
Location Rochford
Elevation AMSL 55 ft / 17 m
Coordinates 51°34′13″N 000°41′36″E / 51.57028°N 0.69333°E / 51.57028; 0.69333Coordinates: 51°34′13″N 000°41′36″E / 51.57028°N 0.69333°E / 51.57028; 0.69333
Website southendairport.com
Map
EGMC

Location in Essex

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
05/23 1,856 6,089 Asphalt
Statistics (2016)
Passengers 874,549
Passenger change 15–16 Decrease2.9%
Aircraft movements 23,449
Movements change 15–16 Decrease0.4%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1]
Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

London Southend Airport (IATA: SEN, ICAO: EGMC) is an international airport in the district of Rochford within Essex, England, approximately 42 miles (68 km) from the centre of London.[3]

During the 1960s, Southend was London's third-busiest airport.[4] It remained London's third-busiest airport in terms of passengers handled until the end of the 1970s, when the role of "London's third airport" passed to Stansted.[5] Following its purchase by Stobart Group in 2008,[5] a development programme[6][7][8] provided a new terminal[9] and control tower,[10] extended runway,[11] and connection to central London via the regular rail service running between Liverpool Street Station & Southend Airport Station on the Shenfield-Southend line, continuing on to Southend Victoria.[10]

EasyJet began operating services by opening a base at Southend in April 2012[12][13] and Irish carrier Aer Lingus Regional began regular flights to Dublin in May,[14] resulting in a rapid increase in airport passenger numbers to 617,027 during 2012;[2] 721,661 passengers used the airport in 12 months following the start of these services,[15] with 969,912 in 2013,[2] and 1,102,358 in 2014,[2] though 2015 saw a decline in passenger numbers to 900,648 and 2016 continued the decline with 874,549 passengers.[2] The airport operator hopes to increase passenger numbers to two million per year by 2020.[4][7]

Overview

Description

The airport is located between Rochford and Southend town centres, 1.5 NM (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) north of Southend,[1] in the county of Essex, 36 miles (58 km) east of central London. It has a single 1,856 metres (6,089 ft) long asphalt runway on a south-west/north-east axis[16] and is capable of handling aircraft of up to Boeing 757 size. The airport is not capable of handling wide-body aircraft.[17]

The current terminal was completed in February 2012. The terminal has since been extended by 90 metres, almost tripling the facility in size. The former terminal now provides facilities for the handling of executive aircraft, with business lounge and conference rooms,[18] plus flight briefing facilities for pilots and a security checkpoint.

A four-star Holiday Inn hotel adjacent to the airport entrance opened on 1 October 2012; owned by the Stobart Group it has the only rooftop restaurant in Essex.[19]

London Southend has been voted the best airport in Britain for three consecutive years by consumer group Which? in August 2013,[20] August 2014,[21] and again in September 2015.[22]

Operations

Aerial view looking north-east, prior to the construction of the runway extension.

Southend Airport handles mainly scheduled passenger, charter and business flights, cargo flights, pilot training (in both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters) and recreational flying. The airport is run by London Southend Airport Co Ltd, which employs over 150 people directly. Due to expansion, there were over 500 more people working at the airport in summer 2012 compared with summer 2011.[23]

Southend Airport has a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (London Southend Airport Company Limited).[24]

Southend Airport has an excellent weather record and is used by airlines as a diversion alternative when adverse weather or incidents close other London airports.[25]

Aircraft ground handling is provided by the airport-owned Southend Handling, who can also assist companies, groups or individuals in chartering aircraft to or from the airport.

Companies located within the airport boundary employ over 800 workers,[26] providing services such as engineering and maintenance work on airliners, including respraying, refurbishment, upgrades to avionics, manufacture of aircraft seats and the installation of new or hush-kitted engines.

Heavy maintenance hangars for aircraft up to Boeing 757 and Airbus A321 size are available.[27] ATC Lasham was the major engineering company at the airport until entering administration in October 2015,[28] the main hangar dating back to Aviation Traders Engineering Limited (ATEL) – founded by the late Sir Freddie Laker – later on used by Heavylift Engineering. Airport based aviation engineering and maintenance companies include Aero Partners, Aircare Ltd (a subsidiary of Avionicare), Air Livery (aircraft re-finishing), Avionicare, Inflite Engineering (previously World Aviation Support and BAF Engineering), IPECO (formerly Benson-Lund), Isenburg Engineering, JOTA Aviation and JRB Aviation.

History

Early years

The airfield was established by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. It was the largest flying ground in Essex, with the greatest number of units. In May 1915 the Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS) took over until 4 June 1916, when it became RFC Rochford. It was designated as night fighter station and many sorties were flown against Zeppelin airship raiders, including LZ38 on 31 May 1915. In 1920, the station closed and reverted to farmland for a while.

The airport was officially opened as a municipal airport on 18 September 1935 by the Under-Secretary of State for Air, Sir Philip Sassoon, who arrived in his de Havilland Leopard Moth.[29]

In 1939, the Air Ministry requisitioned the airfield and it was known as RAF Rochford during World War II as a satellite airfield. During World War II, it became a base for fighter squadrons comprising Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes as well as Bristol Blenheims.[30] Many of the 50 pillboxes that were designed to protect the airport from paratroop landings still survive, as does the underground defence control room, which is near to Southend Flying Club. A further 20 or so pillboxes also remain in the surrounding countryside. Canewdon, 2 miles (3 km) north-east of the airport, was the location of one of the World War II Chain Home radar stations. The 360-foot (110 m) high transmitter tower at Canewdon was relocated to the Marconi works at Great Baddow in the 1950s.[31]

1993: Regional Airports Ltd

Temporary closing of barriers across Eastwoodbury Lane was required for large aircraft movements until the road was diverted to enable the construction of the runway extension in August 2012

In 1993, after the airport had been making losses for many years, Southend Borough Council sold the airport to Regional Airports Ltd (RAL), operator of Biggin Hill Airport. London Southend Airport Co Ltd was formed to operate the airport which was re-branded as "London Southend Airport" with the term "Municipal" dropping from the title. The previous losses were turned into small profits for majority of tenure by RAL.

The largest aircraft ever to land at the Airport was in November 1998 when a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar of Irish airline Aer Turas arrived for scrapping at the airport.

In 2001, a debate centred on the possible relocation of Grade 1 listed St Laurence and All Saints Church further away from the side of the main runway. The proposal was dropped after the planning application was rejected by Southend Council in 2003,[32] and a compromise scheme was implemented resulting in the installation of new barriers across Eastwoodbury Lane and requiring slightly shorter licensed runway lengths once safety areas had been added.[33] These changes allowed passenger flights to be restarted, however the runway length still largely curtailed the potential range and payloads for passenger flights, and scheduled airline utilisation was low until the March 2012 runway extension opened.

Flightline was an airline formed in 1989 headquartered at Southend, where they also had a maintenance/engineering base for their own and third party aircraft. They mainly operated British Aerospace 146 aircraft on ad-hoc charters, and an Avro RJ100 regional jet with which they operated a regular service between Southend and Cologne from 7 June 2006 to 1 December 2008 on behalf of Ford Motor Company as a corporate shuttle.[34] Flightline went into administration on 3 December 2008.[35]

In January 2008, Regional Airports Ltd put the airport up for sale.

Flybe operated a once weekly summer-only service to Jersey using Dash 8 aircraft, ending in 2011.

2008: Stobart Group

Pre-extension terminal building seen from railway station, illustrating proximity.
Interior of terminal building, seen from café by arrivals, and showing check-in area and escalator to departures.

The airport was bought on 2 December 2008 by the Stobart Group for £21 million, becoming part of the Stobart Air division of the Stobart Group, which also operates Carlisle Airport.

Following council consultation with the local population, a planning application extending the usable runway length by 300 m (984 ft) to 1,799 m (5,902 ft), and providing upgraded navigational and lighting aids, was submitted to Southend Borough Council 13 October 2009. Planning permission was granted by Southend Borough Council 20 January 2010. Initially subject to an Article 14 Direction, after due consideration by the Government this was withdrawn 19 March 2010, meaning it would not be subject to a Public Inquiry.[36] A Section 106 agreement was entered into between the airport and local councils.

On 1 June 2010, Stobart Group took a £100 million loan from M & G Investments, partly in order to fund the airport construction.[37] In July 2010, an application for a judicial review of the planning application was filed,[38] which was dismissed on 2 February 2011.[39] On 23 September 2010, the airport received the Airport Achievement Award 2010/11 from the European Regions Airline Association.[40]

A replacement air traffic control tower became operational on 21 March 2011. The return of year-round daily passenger services came in March 2011, when Aer Arann commenced services to Galway and Waterford in Ireland.[41][42]

EasyJet announced a ten-year agreement with Stobart Group in June 2011, and in April 2012 commenced around 70 flights per week from Southend, using three Airbus A319 aircraft based at the airport,[43][44] flying to eight European destinations.

A new on-site rail station opened 18 July 2011, (the official opening by Minister for Transport Theresa Villiers MP was on 21 September 2011),[45] and a new road opened 1 September 2011, replacing Eastwoodbury Lane that lay in the path required for the runway extension.

2012: Expansion of passenger flights

A new terminal was built by Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd during 2011 and opened 28 February 2012 (the official opening was by The Right Honourable Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for Transport on 5 March 2012).[46] The original terminal has been redeveloped for use by private jets, with Stobart Air having invested half a million pounds turning it into an executive business lounge.[47]

The extended runway opened 8 March 2012, with Category I ILS on both ends of the runway.

In spring 2014 Stobart Air, at the time an airline 45% (now 100%[48]) owned by the same company as Southend Airport, announced that it had agreed a 5-year franchise agreement with Flybe which would see two Flybe branded aircraft based at Southend operating six routes from summer 2014.[49][50] On 18 January 2015, two routes were terminated with the Flybe/Stobart franchise operation reduced to one aircraft.

On 7 April 2014, the extension to the passenger terminal was formally opened by Patrick McLoughlin, the Secretary of State for Transport.[51]

On 25 November 2015, it was announced that the Government would provide modest funding for a new route from Southend Airport to Carlisle Airport. The route will begin in Summer 2018 and will be operated by Stobart Air.[52]

In December 2016 Flybe announced it would be adding twelve new routes from summer 2017 to European destinations, primarily aimed at the weekend break customers.[53]

In early 2017 Powdair, a new airline aimed at skiers and snowboarders, announced that from December 2017 it would be operating flights between London-Southend and Sion Airport.[54]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at London Southend Airport:[55]

AirlinesDestinations
easyJet Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Faro, Málaga, Malta (begins 29 October 2017),[56] Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Seasonal: Geneva, Ibiza, Jersey, Lanzarote, Lyon, Menorca, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife-South
Flybe
operated by Stobart Air 		Budapest, Cologne/Bonn (ends 27 October 2017), Dublin (resumes 29 October 2017),[57] Glasgow (begins 29 October 2017),[57] Groningen,[58][59] Lyon, Manchester (begins 29 October 2017),[57] Milan-Malpensa, Prague, Rennes, Vienna
Seasonal: Caen, Dubrovnik, Perpignan (ends 24 September 2017), Reus (ends 25 October 2017), Venice (ends 26 October 2017), Zadar
Powdair Seasonal: Sion (begins 14 December 2017)[60]
SkyWork Airlines Seasonal: Sion (begins 14 December 2017)[61]
Volotea Seasonal charter: Palma de Mallorca[62]

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Time Definite Express Ltd
operated by Bin Air 		Albert,[63] Kassel

Statistics

10 Busiest routes to and from London Southend Airport (2016)
Rank Airport Passengers handled % Change 2015 / 16
1Amsterdam 206,077 Decrease3.9
2Alicante 100,308 Increase1.6
3Faro 97,626 Increase3.9
4Málaga 81,736 0.0
5Palma de Mallorca 52,934 Increase17.4
6Barcelona43,158 Decrease27.8
7Rennes 41,957 Increase21.7
8Venice-Marco Polo 40,212 Decrease26.0
9Paris-Charles de Gaulle 38,308 -
10Geneva 28,751 Increase7.6
Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

Ground transport

Southend Airport railway station

Rail

Since 2011, the airport has its own railway station near the terminal building, Southend Airport railway station on the Shenfield to Southend Line, which is served by Abellio Greater Anglia connecting the airport to Liverpool Street station in London up to 8 times per hour and Southend Victoria railway station in the other direction respectively. The journey to London takes approx. 53 minutes.[64]

The airport's management has expressed a desire to develop the rail service, both so it finishes later (as presently the last arrival lands after the last train has left), and so there is an 'express' service direct to London to reduce travel times.

Road

The airport can be reached within 30 minutes from Junction 29 at M25 via the A127. The airport is served by buses operated by Arriva Southend from the airport entrance to Southend (7, 8 and 9), Rochford (7 and 8), Ashingdon (7), Hawkwell (8), Hockley (7 and 8), Eastwood (9) and Rayleigh (7, 8 and 9).[65] First Essex operates route X30 from the terminal to Chelmsford and Stansted Airport.[66] [67]

Accidents and incidents

Film appearances

See also

    References

    1. 1 2 "Nats | Ais – Home". Nats-uk.ead-it.com. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Aircraft and passenger traffic data from UK airports". UK Civil Aviation Authority. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
    3. ↑ "Google Maps". Google Maps.
    4. 1 2 EasyJet Helps Make Southend London's Sixth Major Airport London.net, published 2011-06-16. Retrieved 17 June 2011
    5. 1 2 EasyJet to offer flights from Southend Financial Times, published 2011-06-16. Retrieved 17 June 2011
    6. ↑ Airport sold to Eddie Stobart Echo, published 2008-12-03. Retrieved 17 June 2011
    7. 1 2 London Southend Airport's new control tower operational BBC, published 2011-04-04. Retrieved 17 June 2011
    8. ↑ Minister gives Southend airport the go-ahead BBC, published 2010-03-19. Retrieved 17 June 2011
    9. ↑ "Southend Airport runs first flight from new terminal". BBC News. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
    10. 1 2 "London Southend Airport opens station and control tower". BBC News. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
    11. ↑ "About Us – London Southend Airport". Retrieved 12 March 2015.
    12. ↑ Stobart Group strikes deal with easyJet at Southend Airport rail.co, published 2011-06-17. Retrieved 17 June 2011
    13. ↑ Stephen Hackwell (3 April 2012). "Dawn of a new era as first easyJet flight soars from Southend Airport". Southend Standard. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
    14. ↑ "New Ireland & USA Gateway Opens with Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Aer Arann Route Launch". Retrieved 21 August 2013.
    15. ↑ "London Southend Airport enjoys its busiest year EVER". Retrieved 21 August 2013.
    16. ↑ "Southend – Google Maps". Maps.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
    17. ↑ "Aircraft Noise Restriction and Maximum Size". Southendairport.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
    18. ↑ "New Business Lounge for high flyers opens at London Southend Airport". Southendairport.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 2013-06-29.
    19. ↑ "New London Southend Airport Holiday Inn Opens". London Southend Airport. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
    20. ↑ "Which? reveals the best and worst UK airports – August – 2013 – Which? News". Which.co.uk. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
    21. ↑ "Which? reveals the best and worst UK airports – August – 2013 – Which? News". Which.co.uk. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
    22. ↑ "Southend scores hat trick on best airport". echo-news.co.uk/. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-07.
    23. ↑ "LSA Annual Report Page 10" (pdf). Southendairport.com. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
    24. ↑ "Civil Aviation Authority Aerodrome Ordinary Licences" (PDF). caa.co.uk. Archived from the original (pdf) on 3 June 2011.
    25. ↑ "Air Transport Landings Diverted To Reporting Airports 2015 Classified by Airport of Intended Landing and Actual Landing" (pdf). caa.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
    26. ↑ "LSA Annual Report 2015-2016" (pdf). Retrieved 2016-12-10.
    27. ↑ Stiles_Harrold_Williams (2016-12-04). "Property_Details". property.shw.co.uk/.
    28. ↑ "ATC Lasham based at Southend Airport goes into administration". Echo-news.co.uk/. 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
    29. ↑ "1935 | 2- 0371 | Flight Archive". Flightglobal.com. 26 September 1935. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
    30. ↑ British Pathé newsreel footage: Fighter Station Scramble 1940 _ http://www.britishpathe.com/video/fighter-station-scramble/query/two
    31. ↑ "Borough Heritage-The Great Baddow Mast" (PDF). Chelmsford.gov.uk. May 2009. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
    32. ↑ "Committee meeting minutes" (PDF). Historic Built Environment Advisory Committee meeting minutes. 20 February 2003. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
    33. ↑ "Southend: Future's bright for our airport" See newspaper Southend Evening Echo, Business News section, 19 December 2003
    34. ↑ Archived 2 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
    35. ↑ Tait, Jim (5 December 2008). "Eastern takes over early as Flightline goes bust". The Shetland Times. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
    36. ↑ "Expansion gets go-ahead". Southend Echo. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
    37. ↑ "Widnes NEW Brochure:Layout 1" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-06-29.
    38. ↑ "Southend Council taken to court over runway extension planning permission". airportwatch. 28 July 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
    39. ↑ "Legal_challenge_to_Southend_Airport_plan_dismissed". Southend Echo. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
    40. ↑ "London Southend Airport Runs Away With Airport Award". Eraa.org. 24 September 2010. Retrieved 2013-06-29.
    41. ↑ "Stobart agrees to invest in Aer Arann". The Irish Times. 12 October 2010.
    42. ↑ "First Aer Arann scheduled flights from Ireland arrive at Southend Airport". Echo News. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
    43. ↑ "London Southend Airport Agrees 10 Year Contract with easyJet" (Press release). Stobart Group. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
    44. ↑ "easyJet to Launch Services from London Southend Airport" (Press release). Stobart Group. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
    45. ↑ "New London Southend Airport Railway Station Officially Opens" (PDF). London Southend Airport. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
    46. ↑ "New London Southend Airport Passenger Terminal Officially Opened By Secretary of State For Transport". London Southend Airport. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
    47. ↑ "New Business Lounge for high flyers opens at London Southend Airport". London Southend Airport. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
    48. ↑ . Retrieved on 26 February 2017.
    49. ↑ "Stobart Air announces partnership with Flybe based at London Southend Airport". southendairport.com. Archived from the original on 22 April 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
    50. ↑ "New route to London Southend from Maastricht Aachen". London Southend Airport. 2014-04-24. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
    51. ↑ "Look who is coming to Southend Airport". Echo News.
    52. ↑ http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/Passenger-flights-starting-from-Carlisle-Airport-next-summer-minister-9cc52b85-f93e-4d76-88b1-567a3f9adcaf-ds
    53. ↑ http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/14980917.European_weekend_breaks_open_up_to_Southend_passengers_as_12_new_routes_unveiled/
    54. ↑ https://www.powdair.ski/
    55. ↑ southendairport.com - Destinations & Airlines retrieved 4 May 2016
    56. ↑ http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/15401819.Enjoy_year_round_sun_with_new_Malta_flights_from_Southend_Airport/?ref=fbshr
    57. 1 2 3 "Flybe Timetable (SEN)". Flybe. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
    58. ↑ http://www.flybe.com/timetableClassic/timetable.jsp?selDep=GRQ&selDest=XXX
    59. ↑ https://www.oogtv.nl/2017/06/veel-meer-passagiers-op-airport-eelde/
    60. ↑ http://www.powdair.ski
    61. ↑ https://skywork.worldticket.net/en/booking/#FlightSearchPagePlace:false&SEN&SIR&2017-12-14&2017-12-21&-3&GBP&&1=1,2=0,3=0&
    62. ↑ http://www.thomson.co.uk/flight/
    63. ↑ https://www.flightradar24.com/BID10A/e641d45
    64. ↑ "London Southend Airport - Trains – General Information". southendairport.com.
    65. ↑ "ARRIVA – Arriva's routes in Southend". Arrivabus.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-29.
    66. ↑ "FirstGroup Welcome Page" (PDF). Firstgroup.com. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
    67. ↑ "London Southend Airport - Bus and Coach". southendairport.com.
    68. ↑ "Plane details 2 – planes 42-29847 to 42-31879". Retrieved 17 December 2012.
    69. ↑ "Sweet Melody 42-107147 Crash".
    70. ↑ "30 Escape burning plane at London". Southeast Missourian. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
    71. ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident Vickers 614 Viking 1 G-AHPH Southend Municipal Airport (SEN)". Aviation-safety.net. 28 July 1959. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
    72. ↑ "G-ALDC Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
    73. ↑ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
    74. ↑ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
    75. ↑ "PH-MOA Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
    76. ↑ "Douglas DC-3 PH-MOA, Report on the accident at Southend Airport, 3 June 1971" (PDF). Accidents Investigation Branch. 22 November 1972. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
    77. ↑ "DAT 1974 accident at the Aviation Safety Network". Aviation-safety.net. 4 October 1974. Retrieved 2013-09-23.
    78. ↑ "Official report of the 1974 DAT accident at Southend Airport" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-09-23.
    79. ↑ "AAIB report of Viscount G-BLNB" (PDF). May 1986. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
    80. ↑ "Vickers Viscount Network details of G-BLNB". Retrieved 2016-01-28.
    81. ↑ "AAIB report of Beech 200 G-WSJE" (PDF). September 1988. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
    82. ↑ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
    83. ↑ "AAIB report of PA-34 G-NJML" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-01-29.

    Bibliography

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