I have just stumbled across the article SMALLPILOT has just mentioned, below is the text, sorry its a bit long, but if i just put a link, it will disappear in a few days on this news site - makes interesting reading.
"Dutch airline gives airport hopes a lift"
By Geoff Percival
Royal Dutch airline KLM could be expanding to Southend Airport with several business flights a day, it has been revealed.
The news of an international airline being interested in coming to Southend is a boost for the airport's regeneration proposals.
Originally, a planned new railway station and terminal building were scheduled to be in place by 2000 and now the aim is for 2012 to tie in with the London Olympics.
Southend Business and Tourism Partnership is being asked to back the idea.
The airport's operators have been working with Tony Le Masurier, former general manager of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in the UK, who now runs his own commercial consultancy, TLM Consulting.
In a letter to partnership members, Mr Le Masurier said: "The object is to establish an operation which will serve the main European and intercontinental destinations through a feeder service several times a day from Southend to a European city.
"Although several European cities would be suitable, the best option is undoubtedly Amsterdam, from where all the world's main business centres are accessible on a daily basis."
Mr Le Masurier said a number of meetings had been held with KLM and the next would be at the airport in mid-October.
He added the company was restricted in future growth in the UK due to restrictions on flights from airports in the South East, particularly at peak times.
He said Southend would be an opportunity for the firm and it was important to put forward a good case for the airport at the meeting.
He added: "We want to maximise the value of our forthcoming meeting with KLM and would be interested to hear from any local organisations which would be supportive of such an operation in the future.
"We need to be able to demonstrate to KLM the local community would use this service so any expression of support, or any indication of likely routes - and even possible numbers - would be most helpful at this stage."
2:30pm Wednesday 27th September 2006