It's not just terminal capacity, but runway/air traffic control capacity - and SEN can offer slots at peak times, not just backfilling between waves.

SEN as an airport will always be marginal and rely heavily on over capacity at all other London airports, very much a case of risk and reward!

But not a profitable success and that's what's the issue

Don't forget that huge amounts of money were spent on developing the Stobart Air/Flybe routes; £30 million pounds comes to mind.

I wonder what would have been the result if Esken had just concentrated on EZY and RYR (although I thought the latter was a mistake). I've no knowledge of the commercial side of either of those deals but EZY had a planned four based aircraft at SEN for S2020 and without Covid where might it have gone from there I wonder.

The Elizabeth Line opens up another option for travelling to SEN. For example from Ealing Broadway to Southend Airport takes around 1hr 24m and Ealing Broadway to Luton Airport Dart Station takes 1hr 20m (both making a random booking enquiry). That should extend the SEN realistic catchment area a little Westward in Greater London.

Some more negative news for Southend, 2Excel could be back to Doncaster.

In the long term I don't see that as necessarily bad news. The hangarage of two 727s, that rarely fly, doesn't seem the most profitable use of a four bay hangar that if renovated could possibly find a tenant looking for a large MRO facility or similar. No doubt Carlyle with have a view on its best use.

One thing for sure. They will not go quietly.

So the airport continues its slow recovery with another step forward. The terminal is now open every day of the week. Before long we shall be able to boast that SEN is the fastest growing of all the London airports in percentage terms.

All positive I reckon. You know what they say. A flight a day keeps the bailiffs away. Or possibly not.

Which has absolutely no meaning.

LTNman lighten up a bit. :)

LTNMan would find it impossible to lighten up at all. He is always negative or knows better. Nearly every thread he contributes too
he does so with criticism or negativity. He is like the Daily Mail of PPRUNE.

One passenger and then two, a 100% increase. We had this nonsense before about Southend being the fastest growing airport in the country and now is it about to start again? Growth should be shown by absolute numbers and not as a percentage. Sorry if that is being negative but the fastest growing airport can suddenly be at the end of the list depending how growth is calculated.

Personally I look forward to substantial growth at Southend to reduce the demand at Luton, as Luton will have access issues this summer.

However, this also works in the other direction. The Elizabeth line makes it easier and quicker for SEN's core market to reach LHR, LTN etc. If the Elizabeth line is hurting LCY, imaghine what it's doing to SEN!

Travelling from "SEN's core market" to LTN you wouldn't use the Elizabeth line.

I doubt that many among "SEN's core market" are making a choice between SEN or LHR as their offerings are so different and the Piccadilly line has fed into LHR for years. SEN or STN/LTN is a different matter but the Elizabeth line doesn't come into the equation for either of those.

LCY is only 45 minutes away from LHR on the Elizabeth line while SEN is 120 minutes away from LHR using that mode of travel so I can understand the former's unease.

Agree with you, except LHR is 47 minutes from Stratford on Elizabeth line and Stratford 44 minutes (best times) from SEN. This long weekend it may take 120 minutes as Elizabeth Line closed Stratford to Paddington.

Is Ealing Broadway or Stratford a core market for SEN?
I still can't see it pulling pax from LCY, STN, LHR or LTN unless you have an Essex postcode.
Any incentive to get airlines in is going to need almost zero cost to the operator.
I do hope the new owners have very deep long term pockets, I do not see things going on a big upwards trend at the moment.

First flight to PALMA MALLORCA going out tomorrow fully booked out and back , great news for the airport so must be doing something right

Try the booking engine in 2 weeks time once the kids are back at school, not so great reading.

Tbf that is quite common to have a mid to late April dip after the Easter Holidays, its more of how it performs during May onwards

According to recent LSA marketing material SEN has a catchment of 8m people and 60% of passengers come from London (I assume they mean Greater London). They certainly include Stratford as being in their catchment area. Surely though, the thing about catchment areas is that they overlap one another. STN attracts people from the LTN catchment area and vice versa for example. When I lived in Southend I flew from SEN, LGW, LCY, LHR, STN, LTN and even SOU. It depended on the options that were available from each that suited me best for a particular journey. Since I've moved to Norfolk I've used NWI, STN, SEN and LCY but I travel much less than I used to. The trick for airports is to attract airlines/routes that will have the greatest appeal to the greatest number of people.

In 2019 SEN processed 2.1m passengers. On the majority of the routes served there were alternatives at competing LON airports so people weren't using SEN grudgingly. I don't think the problem is getting people to use SEN, it's getting airlines to commit to running those routes in these times of perhaps fewer slot restrictions elsewhere and maybe the financial muscle of Carlyle will help them achieve that.