EasyJet opens Southend base as part of summer expansion

Three easyJet A320neo aircraft are being deployed as a new base is opened at Southend airport.

The move supports around 1,200 jobs including 140 direct roles for pilots and cabin crew.

The budget airline is serving 122 flights a week on 20 routes to destinations across Europe and North Africa – more than doubling last summer’s programme from the Essex airport.

The new base provides capacity of more than 330,000 seats this summer.

EasyJet was forced to withdraw from Southend  in August 2020 due to the pandemic.

The airline resumed flights from the airport in May 2022. However, the new base means that aircraft will remain permanently at Southend.

The airport is easyJet’s 10th UK base, following Birmingham airport last year.

The airline and sister tour operation are projecting their largest  summer season with seven more aircraft joining the fleet from Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Southend, providing 500,000 more seats.

EasyJet holidays chief executive Garry Wilson said: “With flights and thousands of package holidays now available to 20 destinations from London Southend, this will not only enable us to serve many more customers, providing value and more choice, but also supports critical connectivity and jobs for the UK, as we get set for our biggest ever summer.”