SOUTHEND Airport bosses are involved in discussions with airline firms over the “no-brainer” of bringing back Alicante flights to the city
Due to the fact that easyJet does not currently have any aircraft based in the Spanish seaside city of Alicante, the airport’s management is in discussions with other companies to establish services.
Prior to the pandemic, Ryanair and easyJet both operated five flights per week from Southend to Alicante.
In an open appeal to persuade an airline to pick up the route once more, airport managers have stated that the route had 200,000 passengers and that planes were, on average, 91% full.
Nigel Mayes, director of business development at London Southend airport, stated that adding an Alicante service to our schedules for 2023 is a “no-brainer” given the size of the market.
“Our confidence in the market will be demonstrated in our support of the service, as we will provide the lowest airport fees into London and partner with the promotion of the popular route.
“London and Essex are expensive to advertise in, but we will aid the deployment of innovative campaigns which will support excellent airline yield and load factor results”.
To reopen the route, Southend Airport is actively speaking with possible partners and seeking to have additional discussions with additional potential airline partners.
Airport managers also state that after a slow initial epidemic recovery, traffic is already recovering. EasyJet is offering flights this year to Palma de Mallorca, Faro, Malaga, and Amsterdam, a 30% increase in total flights over the previous year’s selection.