London Southend Airport Anticipates South East Gateway Commencement

Feb 2011

For the people of the South East, getting to the heart of London’s business district has become even easier with the introduction of the new direct route linking London Southend Airport and Waterford Airport

With a new railway station and a small airport atmosphere, London Southend Airport adds to the simplicity and convenience that commuters have become accustomed to over recent years when using the South East’s regional airport at Waterford.

Commencing on March 27, Aer Arann will fly twice a day into London Southend Airport offering excellent access to central London and unrivalled convenience for business and leisure passengers. With each way morning and evening flights every day, day returns to and from London for the business traveler remain a great option. The new link to the east of London is a great new gateway for UK visitors to the South East of Ireland and offers a wonderful new opportunity for tourism in the South East. These flights will operate in addition to Aer Arann’s very successful Waterford to London-Luton services under a revised schedule.

Welcoming the announcement Alastair Welch, Managing Director of London Southend Airport, commented “We’re delighted with this new link between London and the South East of Ireland; we see a great deal of opportunity in the route to allow people in our catchment to holiday in Ireland, as well as easy access to London for business and leisure purposes for people in the South East of Ireland.

We see many similarities between our airport and Waterford Airport – we both offer fast and friendly service with none of the time consuming hassle that’s unavoidable when travelling through larger airports.”

According to Mr Welch, the new airport railway station provides fast and frequent train services direct to Stratford (for Docklands and Canary Wharf) and to central London’s Liverpool Street Station and gives passengers faster door-to-door times inbound to London than most other London airports – and at lower costs. Liverpool Street, in London’s Financial District, is a main link on London’s underground service and is on the Central Line with easy access to the West End shopping and theatre district. The station also serves the Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan Lines.

Southend Airport is already “home base” to a wide range of aviation companies, airlines and operators, with more than 1,300 people employed across the airport”.

Chief Executive at Waterford Airport Graham Doyle said “We’re very much looking forward to welcoming passengers travelling to and from the South East and London Southend. We see the new route as a real boost for both business and tourism travel between the UK and the South East.”

London Southend Airport is Ireland’s new London gateway with a unique service offering that cannot be matched by major London airports offering 10 minutes from plane to train (8 trains per hour at peak) and 50 minutes to Central London.

Aer Arann flights to London Southend are on sale and can be booked on www.aerarann.com further information on London Southend is available on www.southendairport.com