London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Airport that 'took a hammering' due to pandemic hoping to rebuild

Airport that 'took a hammering' due to pandemic hoping to rebuild

The travel industry was hit hard by the pandemic as all but essential air travel was effectively stopped. At Southend Airport they have "taken a hammering" as passenger numbers have dropped more than 90% from pre-pandemic levels, so can it rebuild?

Between April 2019 and April 2020, London Southend had a bumper year with 2,150,000 passengers. Pandemic restrictions hit in March 2020, and numbers nosedived to 147,000 for the period between April 2020 and April 2021, and just 94,000 for the same period 2021-2022.

When the pandemic hit, Southend's three main carriers - EasyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air - pulled out of the airport and only EasyJet has returned, but it is only flying to three destinations.

On the airport's busiest days only three flights leave, so what does the future hold?


'We took a hammering'
Nigel Mayes, business development director at the airport, says they "took a hammering" due to the pandemic but were hoping to rebuild by next summer


Nigel Mayes, business development director at the airport, says they are already focusing on summer 2023 when they are hopeful more airlines will be back with new routes.

"Our business has taken a hammering," he says.

EasyJet, the anchor airline for the airport, is only offering flights to Faro, Palma and Malaga this summer and Mr Mayes is clear the airport "needs to grow" if it has got a future.

"We're hoping to get more airlines back into London Southend but also trying to grow that partnership with EasyJet, trying to get them to put on more flights and especially to some very popular sunshine destinations that we used to serve," he says.

Popular routes to Amsterdam and Alicante brought in more than 200,000 passengers each year and Mr Mayes says he wants to see them return as well as other routes to get the airport back to the 40 destinations it offered before the pandemic.

"The whole of the aviation sector has had a really difficult couple of years and we've got to make sure that we can both grow our business commercially as well as the airlines," he says.

"We're open to conversations and negotiations with any carrier out there."


'We'll use Southend more and more'
Fiona Clements says she's sure she'll use the airport again as it gets more routes for passengers


Fiona Clements, 57, from nearby Basildon, had only travelled from London Southend once before, but says she "really enjoyed the experience" and has returned.

"I absolutely love Southend and we've had a great experience - straight through security, a bit of shopping, loads of staff around, the cafe staff have been amazing and they really looked after us," she says.

"There's not many routes yet but as they increase I'm sure we'll use Southend more and more."


'Want to see it get back to where it was'
Julie Martine prefers travelling from the smaller airport than bigger London alternatives


Julie Martine, 55, from Thorpe Bay in Southend, says travelling from London Southend is better than other bigger London airports.

"We just want to see it get back to where it was before," she says.

"They had so many different destinations that everybody could get to really easily and just being here compared to the big London airports just makes so much difference.

"It's so easy, quick, doesn't feel like a big problem and it doesn't take up half your day travelling there."


'Now it's back, it's great'
Colin Siggs is happy to see the airport offering flights again


Colin and Rosalind Siggs, from Minster in Kent, used to travel from Southend regularly, but were forced to fly from elsewhere when EasyJet suspended flights from the airport during the pandemic.

They are both happy to see the terminal back in business.

Mr Siggs, 81, says: "I think it's great; we flew from here in the past to Faro, and then they shut down.

"We had to revert to going from Gatwick which is a lot busier and [there are] all the problems that are there now.

"I realised Southend was back in business at [the] last minute and booked it."

He said there was "hardly anyone" there which was part of the appeal of flying from a smaller airport.

Rosalind Siggs says it is "great" to be able to travel from London Southend again


Mrs Siggs, 78, says: "It's smaller, so you don't have the crowds, [it is] so much easier to get through everything, and we just prefer it.

"We were disappointed when it was out of use with Covid, but now it's come back, [it's] great."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×