Inside England's fastest growing airport as EasyJet announces new flights to Spain and Greece

The budget airline has announced flights to Spain and Greece from London Southend Airport

In the West Midlands, we've got a good number of options for airports within easy access. There's Birmingham and a little further away is East Midlands and Manchester.

But if you fancy using a new airport, London Southend Airport could temp you as easyJet announced three new routes there. The airport located on Southend-on-Sea is the fastest growing one in the country, reports Express.co.uk.

While people are happy to travel to London to places like Heathrow and Gatwick for flights, London Southend could also tempt you. easyJet has announced it's offering flights to the Spanish destinations of Almeria and Reus.

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It's also offering flights to Malta, the island in the Mediterranean. These flights will begin in March 2025. The airline revealed earlier this year its plans to base three more planes at the airport.

And easyJet introduced seven package holidays to other destinations. These were Enfidha in Tunisia, Marrakech in Morocco, Pisa in Italy, Gran Canaria and Tenerife in the Canary Islands and Dalaman and Antalya in Turkey.

Now, both flight-only options and easyJet holiday packages are available for all ten of these destinations, with the first flights departing from the seaside town's airport on March 30, 2025. This brings the total number of routes from Southend Airport to 17, offering a variety of beach, city, and ski trips.

The decision to open a base at Southend reflects easyJet's commitment to expanding its operations in the UK, further solidifying its position as a leading carrier for UK travellers. This move is set to create around 130 direct jobs for pilots and crew, along with supporting additional jobs both at easyJet and the airport.

Since starting operations at Southend in 2012, easyJet has served over seven million passengers, with many travellers opting for the airport’s convenient access to European and North African destinations. Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said: "We are delighted to be putting 10 new routes on sale from our new base at London Southend Airport, which we look forward to opening next spring.

"Our continued growth and investment in the UK highlights the importance of this market and provides UK consumers with even more choice, with our customers choosing our flights and holidays for our trusted brand, unrivalled network and great value fares. We have flown over seven million customers from London Southend since we started our operation there in 2012 and, whether they are flying for business or leisure, we look forward to welcoming even more of them onboard.”

Marc Taylor, acting CEO at London Southend Airport, said: “London Southend Airport is committed to providing a seamless, high-quality travel experience for people living in the east of London, Essex and East Anglia region, and we thank easyJet for expanding its range of choices".