Southend Council yesterday gave planning consent for the Ramada airport hotel.
Hopefully(!) this should now go ahead as it should be a money-spinner for the airport given the current lack of good hotels in the Southend area.
Next step is to sort out the planning consent for the rail station, which as it stands is linked to the building of the new terminal. Rochford District Council is expecting to receive a planning application shortly from SEN to decouple the two things allowing the station to be built and to open before the new terminal.
Flywatch have amended their plans for serving Paris from SEN.
They are now offering SEN-LTQ-SEN daily except Tuesday and Thursday from March 2008 with a rail connection to Gare du Nord, Paris via Etaples railway station.
The idea of operating into Pontoise (POX) has apparently been dropped in favour of the Rail/Air connection to Paris.
Yes Expressflight its nice to see a quality hotel at last for the Southend area. Southend really does deserve something more upmarket than the Roslin Hotel, The Westcliff Hotel and the other little establishments. Whats that one that reminds me of Fawlty Towers. Oh yes its The Tower Hotel
How about some passenger flights and it might get put to even more use?
Air Livery have announced on their web-site that they have bought Sprayavia, whose main facility is at NWI. Sprayavia's business will be absorbed into Air Livery's in 3-6 months time.
As a NWI-based spotter, what type of business will be sent there. Sprayavia at NWI can take aircraft up to Boeing 757-300 size but there have been rumours that they would like to build a wide-body hangar at NWI.
Thats the maximum aircraft type taken at SEN, However there is a lot of messing about at SEN when the 757 lands as dependant on runway landing at one end they have to be towed, so expect to see all the 757 work at NWI is a possibility.
Flybe will be operating a Wednesday SEN-JER service, in addition to the usual Saturday service, commencing 3 May 2008.
A small set forward, but certainly good news for SEN.
There is also a new motif for the airport with it writ large outside the terminal incorporating the three scimitars in the Essex crest. Work is inderway on the new carpark and the cafe is due to be refurbished next week. For once I share Expressflights optimism (it wont last).
Flywatch is to begin scheduled flights from London Southend Airport to Le Touquet and Calais in France, and Bruges/Ostend in Belgium next year.
From March 1, flights from London Southend to the elegant resort of Le Touquet will operate seven times per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays (three flights) and Sundays. Fares will cost from £180 return (including taxes).
From April 1, the airline will begin flights from the airport to Ostend/Bruges, on Saturdays. Tickets begin at £200 plus taxes and charges. Bruges is a World Heritage Site and is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
During July and August, the airline will operate weekly flights to Calais (on Saturdays). Flights begin at £160 return, including extras.
These services will be operated by twin-engine Piper Navajo aircraft, which offer up to seven passengers "executive-style comfort at an affordable price".
I noticed outside a couple of newsagents in the town earlier this week, the local paper - Evening Echo, bill board headlines, mentioned something along the lines of "Airport Runway Extension", does anyone know anymore ?
I have had a quick look through the Echos website but cannot see anything, either that or i was having a bad day.
You're quite right, there was a front page article in the Echo earlier this week explaining that unless the runway is extended from the current 1.4 kilometres to at least 1.8, the introduction of holiday flights will not be possible. Also talked to A. Welch who just confirmed that options were being considered as part of the JAAP which is currently being put together by Rochford/Southend councils. Don't understand why it's not on the Echo website.
This is like groundhog day. SEN as a proper airport with a future just goes around and around in circles. Most people that use SEN and are familiar with it have known for 20 years (a conservative guess) that the runway is not long enough, nor wide enough add to all this the lack of space to expand and once again the airport is dead in the water. Give it another 20 years and it will provide space for 2000 plus dwellings which will be met by enthusiasm by both councils.
Nice to have your professional input HZ123, you are obviously well versed in what is going on .
I see the optimism of your 27th November post HAS evaporated - how well you know yourself!
How do FlyWatch expect to find any passengers as they charging a minimum of £180-£200 for a 30-40 min return flight? I appreciate that the cost of oil has increased, but I could book myself a weekend away inc car park and hotel for this amount to a lot more exciting destinations from Stansted.
Le Touquet is quaint, Ostend is....not quite so. What is the fascination with the old Carvair routes?
Flying low level below 10,000ft is also 'bumpy'!
With a Southampton style terminal adjacent to the railway line, Southend can find its niche hopefully?
If I lived in the Southend area and wanted to go to Ostend or Calais with family or friends I think I'd definately drive to Dover or Ramsgate and catch the ferry or go through the tunnel rather than pay £200 each! However, I'd fly from Glasgow or Prestwick to Ostend if it was possible as I go there several times per year. The chanced of being able to fly from Glasgow or Prestwick to Ostend are nil and anyway, I still wouldn't pay Flywatch fares!
The problem Flywatch have is that they are trying to offer a competitive SEN-LTQ fare on a 6-seater Navajo and the ecomomics just don't add up unfortunately.
They would probably do better to cost the operation on the basis of the 9-seater Chieftain which they say they are planning to acquire for the route. Having 50% greater capacity they could offer a slightly lower basic fare but, more importantly, they could also offer promotional fares for part of the capacity - much as Skysouth and Lyddair already do. That would obviously mean operating initially close to breakeven at best with the Navajo, but it would be the best way of establishing whether or not the route is viable over the long run. They also need to have an online booking facility as soon as possible as, these days, customers don't expect to have to telephone an airline to make a booking.
The Freight Dogs forum suggests that Andy Janes' (ex Emerald) new freight operation, apparently planned for early 2008, will be SEN based.
Has anyone local heard about this?
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