Thrice Daily Southend to Dublin by Aer Lingus Regional
This newly announced service by Aer Lingus Regional should be a winner, even in these difficult times. The three flights per day will offer people in south east Essex (and there's over a million of them) the benefit of new U.S. Customs and Immigration pre-clearance facilities at Dublin Airport, allowing them to arrive in the US as domestic passengers, saving valuable time and hassle on arrival. Providing the fares are competitive this should stop a lot of journeys around the M25 to LHR..... And Dublin is a beautiful city to visit of course.
Southend also offers a rapid transit through its terminal to its new railway station and a rapid trip into central London, so it should be an attractive destination for Irish travellers also - again, provided the fares are competitive.