In a significant boost to UK air travel, easyJet has revealed plans to establish a new base at London Southend Airport.
The move will see the budget carrier operating 122 flights per week across 22 routes, offering over 330,000 seats to destinations across Europe and North Africa. Among the new destinations are Reus and Gran Canaria in Spain, alongside popular locations such as Tenerife, Marrakech, and Antalya.
The expansion, described as easyJet’s “biggest ever summer” by easyJet holidays CEO Gary Wilson, includes three A320neo aircraft based at Southend, supporting around 1,200 jobs, including 140 for pilots and cabin crew. Wilson remarked, “This not only enables us to serve many more customers, providing value and more choice, but also supports critical connectivity and jobs for the UK.”
Jude Winstanley, CEO of London Southend Airport, highlighted the broader impact, stating, “The creation of wider employment for 1,200 jobs in the region, including 140 new jobs for airport colleagues, reflects the positive momentum we are seeing as we head into our biggest summer for six years.”
Adding to the excitement, easyJet plans to expand its winter offerings from Southend, launching services to Barcelona, Lanzarote, and Salzburg. This announcement comes after the airline withdrew from Southend in 2020 due to the pandemic, leaving the airport temporarily without commercial flights after Ryanair and Wizz Air also ceased operations.