Stobart Air reports 300 percent jump in passenger numbers at London Southend Airport base

Editor -
  • Flybe passengers at London Southend Airport up from over 8,700 in April ’17 to over 35,000 in August ‘17;
  • Increase follows introduction of first long-distance Embraer E-195 jets to the company’s fleet and announcement of new routes;
  • Almost 163,000 seats have already been sold on jet-operated routes, in addition to ATR turboprop services;
  • Stobart Air Managing Director: “August numbers a testament to Stobart Air’s commitment to service excellence and three-year investment strategy.”

Stobart Air, Europe’s leading franchise flying partner, has today reported an impressive 300 percent jump in passenger numbers on its Flybe routes from London Southend Airport.

The increase comes after Stobart Air introduced the first of its new fleet of long-distance Embraer E195 jet aircraft to Flybe’s expanded route network, which includes Lyon, Milan, Budapest and Prague.

Headquartered in Dublin, Stobart Air employs a workforce of 570 people. Earlier this year, the airline announced the addition of 60 new jobs and an investment of €25 million in the airline.

First jet flights on these new routes commenced in May from London Southend. Since then, almost 163,000 seats have been sold, in addition to existing ATR turboprop services. In April, prior to the introduction of the jet fleet, Flybe passenger numbers at London Southend were over 8,700; in August, following its introduction, passenger numbers reached over 35,000.

August was a particularly strong month in terms of volumes, with some routes achieving over a 90 percent load factor and an overall network result in excess of 75 percent on new jet-operated routes.

The strong numbers follow Stobart Air’s recent announcement of three Flybe routes from London Southend Airport commencing 29 October: Dublin, Manchester and Glasgow. These new routes will bring the total number of Flybe routes from London Southend to seventeen.

The Dublin—London Southend route will be operated by a new Embraer E195 jet, with flights up to three times daily. Flights to Manchester from London Southend will operate with the same frequency; flights to Glasgow will operate up to twice daily.

Commenting, Graeme Buchanan, Managing Director of Stobart Air, said:
“August’s strong record passenger numbers are a testament not only to Stobart Air’s commitment to service excellence, but to the immediate success of our three-year investment strategy. The company’s purchase of a fleet of Embraer jets was a sound move that is already paying dividends.

“Passengers choose Flybe and other Stobart Air services because they value convenience, affordability, and our comprehensive network of European destinations. This bears out in the numbers: we are on track to carry two million passengers in 2017, a 50 percent increase in passenger numbers over the past five years.”

Which? Travel’s annual survey ranked LSA London’s best airport for a 5th year in a row (2013-17). With a customer rating of 84% LSA was an impressive 16 percentage points higher than the next best London airport. Additionally, the Airport Operators Association voted LSA “Best Small Airport” in 2015 and 2016.

The airport boasts its own direct rail link with fast and frequent train services with up to eight trains per hour to and from London’s Liverpool Street. London Southend Airport, purpose built for passenger convenience, boasts a number of attractive features:

  • Dedicated railway station 100 paces from the Terminal
  • From as little as 5 minutes from ‘plane to train’;
  • Up to seven trains per hour at peak times - minimum four an hour across the day;
  • 45 minutes approx. direct rail transfer to Stratford Station, located next to the Olympic Stadium and Westfield Shopping Centre;
  • 53 minutes approx. direct rail transfer to London Liverpool Street Station;

Dublin- London Southend Airport flight fares are available from €19.99 one way and can be booked online at: https://www.flybe.com/