AIRPORT HISTORY

The Airport has a fascinating and varied history. Periods of busy activity have been followed by quiet years and threats of extinction leading to its current new dawn with re-investment, redevelopment and plans for an exciting future serving a regenerated Southend and expanding London Gateway.

A more detailed, year-by-year account of the Airport’s history is being prepared and will be available from this site – please keep watching.

The birth
The First World War saw the birth of Southend as a flying base when the War Office listed the site as a potential landing ground in 1914. The first flight followed in 1915 when Flight Sub Lieutenant A.W. Robinson took off in a Bleriot aircraft in an (unsuccessful) attempt to intercept a German Army Zeppelin. This modest beginning led to regular RFC activity at Southend over the course of the War until 1919 when the recently formed RAF derequisitioned the airfield and the land reverted to farming.

Interest in flying increased in the early 1930’s and the old RAF site was purchased by Southend Council in 1933 and flying returned. The airfield was officially opened in 1935 and regular scheduled flights to Rochester soon followed.

Another War
At the outbreak of WW2 the Airport was again requisitioned by the RAF and all civil flying ceased. Over the course of the War a number of Squadrons featuring a variety of nationalities were based at the Airport. Spitfires, Hurricanes, Lysanders, Beaufighters, Mustangs and other famous warplanes all saw action.

After the War, Southend Council again took over the running of the Airport, with a modest number of scheduled services running in the late 1940’s to The Channel Islands and Ostend.

Peacetime prosperity
In the mid-1950’s two runways were laid and this led to a new level of commercial flying at the Airport for both passenger and cargo operations. Viking, Viscount, DC3 and Carvair aircraft all featured heavily. In 1967 British Air Ferries was formed and for many years became the airline synonymous with Southend Airport. 1967 also saw a record number of passengers using the Airport – a remarkable 692, 686. It could be said that the 1960’s and early 1970’s was the Airport’s golden era.

By the mid-1970’s traffic at the Airport was in decline, however BAF and, later, Air UK continued to run scheduled services to a variety of European destinations and the Channel Islands. Holiday companies and their related airlines also used the Airport on a regular basis. Engineering and maintenance operations become an increasing part of the Airport’s business. Over the period commercial jets such as the 737, 727 and, by the early 1990’s, the BAe 146, take over from turbo-prop stalwarts like the Viscount and Herald.

New owners
In the 1994 Southend Council – after considering closing the Airport – sold it to the current owners, Regional Airports Ltd. RAL set about refurbishing the Airport and resurfacing the runway. Passenger flights are by now a small part of the Airport’s activities with the Jersey airline Flybe being the only operator.

A new dawn
In 1998 the government gave the go-ahead for London Southend Airport to build a new passenger terminal and railway station. The first phase of the Airport’s redevelopment is now aimed for completion in 2009. This includes a new control tower and 4-star hotel.

Currently the Airport employs around 100 people. Some 50 tenant companies on the site involved in aviation related businesses employ a further 1,300 people.