SOUTHEND 5
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Essex
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Knowing SEN like i do i reckon the statement made earlier about Stobart wanting to carry out everything at SEN is True.
Otherwise they could have saved a shed load of money by outsourcing various aspects of their operation without any staff overheads. Most airports do this and have contractual service level agreements to ensure the operation is not compromised and then there would be penalty clauses anyway.
Just think about the following which are all in house !
ATC -
fuelling
Ground handling including baggage handling and dispatch
Cafes
Car Parks
etc etc
They only have to change when they reach 2 million passengers then they have to open it up to other service provisers under EU regulation. Thats of course if we are still in the EU !
Stubborn springs to mind !!
Otherwise they could have saved a shed load of money by outsourcing various aspects of their operation without any staff overheads. Most airports do this and have contractual service level agreements to ensure the operation is not compromised and then there would be penalty clauses anyway.
Just think about the following which are all in house !
ATC -
fuelling
Ground handling including baggage handling and dispatch
Cafes
Car Parks
etc etc
They only have to change when they reach 2 million passengers then they have to open it up to other service provisers under EU regulation. Thats of course if we are still in the EU !
Stubborn springs to mind !!
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Essex
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Another award
London Southend Airport rated best airport in the UK again
Lets hope some more airlines and passengers get to experience it.
Lets hope some more airlines and passengers get to experience it.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Essex
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"........why ever increasing numbers of passengers are repeatedly choosing London Southend Airport over all the others.”
Interesting choice of phrase by Mr Jones, but if ever increasing numbers of pax are return customers then the number of new customers must be plummeting.....
Interesting choice of phrase by Mr Jones, but if ever increasing numbers of pax are return customers then the number of new customers must be plummeting.....
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Ireland
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Well generally, an airport doesn't get too many new customers?
You'd much rather 500,000 pax who keep returning to the airport as opposed to 500,000 who will never use it again?
You'd much rather 500,000 pax who keep returning to the airport as opposed to 500,000 who will never use it again?
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: UK
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PR b*ll#cks
London Southend Airport rated best airport in the UK again
Lets hope some more airlines and passengers get to experience it.
Lets hope some more airlines and passengers get to experience it.
asdf1234
What has the authorship of that particular press article got to do with it? Its the AOA and Which? (both well respected organisations) which rated SEN best UK airport, not the airport's IT suppliers.
What has the authorship of that particular press article got to do with it? Its the AOA and Which? (both well respected organisations) which rated SEN best UK airport, not the airport's IT suppliers.
Boading refusel
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Outer London
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As a semi-regular user of SEN I can confirm that had I ever been surveyed (I haven't), I would have ranked it number 1 in the UK. Admittedly the only other 'small' UK airports I've used recently are LCY and NQY, the former I've had long queues at security twice and the latter charges a fee. But certainly a much nicer passenger experience than the larger London airports and EDI (can't speak for any others!).
Join Date: Jun 2009
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PR puff
EXPRESSFLIGHT,
If an unbiased report had been written it would maybe have started, "Despite falling passenger numbers and a lack of airlines wanting to start operations at the airport, passengers have once again voted SEN their favourite airport in the UK....". and it might have continued, "The vote is perhaps not surprising given that those passengers still using SEN have the use of a terminal capable of handling 2m pax, all to themselves; a comparative luxury when compared to the other busier airports in and around the London area".
As I said, a PR puff piece.
If an unbiased report had been written it would maybe have started, "Despite falling passenger numbers and a lack of airlines wanting to start operations at the airport, passengers have once again voted SEN their favourite airport in the UK....". and it might have continued, "The vote is perhaps not surprising given that those passengers still using SEN have the use of a terminal capable of handling 2m pax, all to themselves; a comparative luxury when compared to the other busier airports in and around the London area".
As I said, a PR puff piece.
Join Date: Nov 2015
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EXPRESSFLIGHT,
If an unbiased report had been written it would maybe have started, "Despite falling passenger numbers and a lack of airlines wanting to start operations at the airport, passengers have once again voted SEN their favourite airport in the UK....". and it might have continued, "The vote is perhaps not surprising given that those passengers still using SEN have the use of a terminal capable of handling 2m pax, all to themselves; a comparative luxury when compared to the other busier airports in and around the London area".
As I said, a PR puff piece.
If an unbiased report had been written it would maybe have started, "Despite falling passenger numbers and a lack of airlines wanting to start operations at the airport, passengers have once again voted SEN their favourite airport in the UK....". and it might have continued, "The vote is perhaps not surprising given that those passengers still using SEN have the use of a terminal capable of handling 2m pax, all to themselves; a comparative luxury when compared to the other busier airports in and around the London area".
As I said, a PR puff piece.
I believe the terminal is actually built to handle 5m pax, so on that point your argument is strengthened. However I do feel that even with an under utilised terminal it does not change the fact that Southend has one of, if not the shortest, plane to train and long stay parking distance in the UK, along with short walks to aircraft, short taxi time... Things that would remain unchanged if the terminal was handling more pax. So while your 'quiet terminal' theory holds some weight, it doesn't tell the whole story of the constant advantage of SEN's excellent facilities...all we need now is for a few more airlines to realise that!
Join Date: Jun 2009
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User choice
I have looked at where I have flown from and to in the past 6 months and I have used SEN, LCY, STN, LGW, LTN and LHR. When analysing why I chose the airport that I flew from, in every case but 2 it came down to the destination I was flying to and the time of departure. I chose the airport not because of the airport experience but because the flight I wanted to be on left from that particular airport. Granted, most of my flying was long haul but I also did a good amount of European flights and some domestic in the past 6 months.
I took two flights that I would have preferred to have flown from SEN; one was to EDI and the other to DUB. Both departed and returned to STN and I would have preferred to have not driven for those particular journeys.
It is great that SEN has a fantastic customer experience but I don't think passengers will use it because of that. They will use it because it has flights going to destinations that they want to get to departing at times that suit them. A good example of this is when I fly LGW to GVA. It would be easier for me to fly from SEN but the SEN flight leaves in the middle of the day; no good to anyone who has to work for a living.
As for short train to terminal transfers I think London City gives SEN a run for its money. As do the LCY short and long term car parks. Where LCY scores highly also is the well managed security queue and the quality of the airside retail/catering that SEN just cannot match at present.
Let's hope that the continuing Which appraisals give SEN the publicity it needs to stay in the limelight. However without meaningful routes at decent departure times the airport will unfortunately continue to struggle.
I took two flights that I would have preferred to have flown from SEN; one was to EDI and the other to DUB. Both departed and returned to STN and I would have preferred to have not driven for those particular journeys.
It is great that SEN has a fantastic customer experience but I don't think passengers will use it because of that. They will use it because it has flights going to destinations that they want to get to departing at times that suit them. A good example of this is when I fly LGW to GVA. It would be easier for me to fly from SEN but the SEN flight leaves in the middle of the day; no good to anyone who has to work for a living.
As for short train to terminal transfers I think London City gives SEN a run for its money. As do the LCY short and long term car parks. Where LCY scores highly also is the well managed security queue and the quality of the airside retail/catering that SEN just cannot match at present.
Let's hope that the continuing Which appraisals give SEN the publicity it needs to stay in the limelight. However without meaningful routes at decent departure times the airport will unfortunately continue to struggle.
Southend FBO
Stobart have placed an ad in the EBAN magazine seeking expressions of interest from existing FBO operators "with a strong and reputable international brand" to take over the existing FBO lounge and facilities. The ad also says that the 47,000 sq.ft ex-Lasham hangars would be made available as a second phase of the deal, plus the 53,000 sq.ft of apron space fronting the hangars. The FBO terminal would then transfer to the hangar location and all FBO operations would take place there.
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Essex
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Interesting news indeed. Shame they couldn't find someone to take over the hangars for maintenance purposes, but at least there is a vision for the site. Guess this means the old terminal maybe demolished and designated as additional space for expansion purposes? This is a good opportunity to reshape the southern part of the airport.
