Southend Airport update

Stobart Group, perhaps best known for its high profile road haulage operation, is to raise £115m in a share placing as part of a restructuring of the business that will allow it to develop both Carlisle and Southend airports, with the priority on the Essex operation which it purchased in late 2008.

At the beginning of the airline summer season Aer Arann introduced a twice daily service to Galway and Waterford giving both west of Ireland cities non-stop access to Essex and East London.  Due to open very shortly is the new Southend Airport railway station and with it services to London Liverpool Street.  This is said to be imminent with up to eight trains per hour offering a typical journey time of 53 minutes.  Construction of a new terminal adjoining the station is well under way.  Work has started on a runway extension that will allow aircraft such as the Boeing 757 much more flexibility in terms of range. 

Stobart is also hoping to develop Carlisle Airport, raising the possibility of scheduled passenger flights to London, but this project has run into difficulties due to objections of a local farmer Mr George Brown.  Indications are that Stobart intends to contest a High Court ruling which overturned local planning permission. www.southendairport.com

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