| London Southend Airport Southend Airport |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
 |
|||
| IATA: SEN – ICAO: EGMC | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | Stobart Group | ||
| Serves | Southend, Essex and East London areas | ||
| Location | Rochford, Essex | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 49 ft / 15 m | ||
| Coordinates | 51°34′17″N 000°41′44″E / 51.57139°N 0.69556°E | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 06/24 | 1,605 | 5,266 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2008) | |||
| Aircraft Movements | 37,227 | ||
| Passengers | 44,075 | ||
| Source: United Kingdom AIP [1]
Statistics from the UK CAA[2] |
|||
London Southend Airport or Southend Airport (IATA: SEN, ICAO: EGMC) is a regional airport in the District of Rochford within Essex, England.
Contents |
Location
The airport is closer to Rochford than it is to Southend town centre. A frequent rail service runs from Rochford (3/4 mile away) to London Liverpool Street with a journey time of approximately 50 minutes. Taxis are available outside the terminal.
Operations
Southend Airport mainly operates passenger charter and business flights, cargo flights, pilot training (in both aircraft and helicopters), and recreational flying. Heavy maintenance services and hangarage for aircraft up to Boeing 757 and Airbus A321 size are available.The airport is run by London Southend Airport Co Ltd , which employs over 90 people.
Southend Airport has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P893) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (London Southend Airport Company Limited)[3].
The airport provides RFF Cat 4 between 07:00 - 19:30 Monday to Friday, RFF Cat 2 at weekends and RFF Cat 1 19:30 - 07:00. Upgrades to RFF Cat 6 are regularly provided on request.
Regular public air services are scheduled flights to Jersey on summer Saturdays operated by Flybe.
Passenger figures grew by 491% in 2006, 62% in 2007, followed by a decline of 11% in 2008, according to CAA statistics.
Ground handling at the airport is provided by the airport owned 'Southend Handling', who can assist companies, groups or individuals in chartering aircraft to or from the airport.
Annual seafront airshows off Southend and Clacton fronts result in extra aircraft being based at the airport for the duration of the displays.
Companies located at and around the airport employ over 1000 skilled workers, providing services such as engineering and maintenance work on airliners, including re-spraying, refurbishment, upgrades to avionics, manufacture of aircraft seats and the installation of new or hush-kitted engines.
ATC Lasham is the major engineering company at the airport, in previous times known as ATEL (Aviation Traders Engineering Limited, founded by the late Sir Freddie Laker of Skytrain fame) and Heavylift Engineering. Other companies include Air Livery (aircraft re-finishing), Avionicare, IAVNA (airport visual aids), Inflite Engineering (previously 'World Aviation Support' and 'BAF Engineering'), IPECO/Benson-Lund and JRB Aviation.
Southend Airport has an excellent weather record, which means that smaller airliners use it as a diversion alternative when adverse weather or other incidents cause aircraft to divert from either Stansted or London City Airport.
The airport is also popular with film-makers, who find that the airport is able to accommodate their needs better than busier airports.
Facilities
The terminal houses a cafe, check-in desks, departure lounge, a photo booth, an ATM (dispensing Euros and Sterling), a small tourist information point, an executive VIP lounge and reception area. There is a taxi rank and free car park 100 metres in front of the terminal, which means that passenger 'aircraft to car' times are very fast.
Bus services operated by Arriva Southend are available from the public road fronting the airport entrance to Southend (7, 8 and 9), Rochford (7 and 8), Ashingdon (7), Hawkwell (8), Hockley (7 and 8), Eastwood (9) and Rayleigh (7, 8 and 9). Routes 7, 8 & 9 are normally operated by modern low-floor easy access buses.
Aviation history
Airport
A long history of aviation from this location started late in 1914 when it was first developed as an operational base for the Royal Flying Corps in the Great War, becoming the largest flying ground in Essex, with the greatest number of units. In May 1915 the RNAS took over, until 4 June 1916 when it became RFC Rochford. It was designated as night fighter station and many sorties were flown against Zeppelin airship raiders, including LZ38 on 31 May 1915. In 1920 the station closed and reverted to farmland for a while.
The airport was officially opened as a municipal airport on 18 September 1935 by the Under-Secretary of State for Air , Sir Philip Sassoon , who arrived in his de Havilland Leopard Moth . In the second world war it was known as 'RAF Rochford' and once again there was much military activity seen. Southend Airport is often remembered for the car ferry flights operated by the piston-engined Bristol Freighter and the Aviation Traders Carvair. There used to be an aviation museum on the western boundary of the airport.
A preserved Avro Vulcan may be seen from the road into Rochford. The Vulcan usually undertakes fast taxi runs along the runway once or twice a year (Vulcan Restoration Trust).
Southend Airport handled more traffic than Stansted until well into the 1970s, making it London's "de facto" third airport.[4] In 1993, after the airport had been running at a significant loss for many years, Southend Borough Council sold the airport to Regional Airports Ltd, operator of Biggin Hill Airport. In 2002/3 a debate centered on the possible relocation of St Laurence and All Saints Church, (a Grade 1 listed church), further away from the side of the main runway. This was opposed by English Heritage, some local residents, Councillors and the Church. The planning application was rejected by Southend Council.[5]. A compromise scheme was implemented resulting in slightly shorter licensed runway lengths. This change allowed passenger flights to be restarted using regional jet/turboprop aircraft similar to those already in use at London City airport. However the existing runway length curtails the range and payloads that can be carried under certain weather conditions, and accordingly airline interest has been sporadic.
In January 2008 Regional Airports Ltd put the airport up for sale; on 2 December 2008 the Stobart Group bought the airport, paying £16 million up to a maximum of £21 million dependant on certain conditions. The airport now operates as part of the 'Stobart Air' division of the Stobart Group, which also operates Carlisle Airport. Following a local Council consultation ending 15 May 2009, a planning application for a small runway extension was submitted to Southend Borough Council 13 October 2009.
Airlines
Southend was the base for British World Airlines (ICAO code was 'BWL', IATA code 'VF'), who previously operated as British Air Ferries (ICAO code was 'VF' and then 'BAF'); and before then as British United Air Ferries formed from the merger of Channel Air Bridge (based at Southend, and famous for operating the Carvair) and Silver City Airways.
In 1963, Sean Connery was filmed for Goldfinger driving his Aston Martin DB5 at Southend Airport (having tracked Goldfinger's Rolls Royce to Southend on Sea), taking it Switzerland via the Carvair service.
BAF/BWA owned many Vickers Viscount turboprop airliners, fitted out for passenger and cargo operations. These aircraft, dating from the mid/late 1950s to the early 1960s, were originally owned and operated by BEA, one of the two main predecessors of the present-day British Airways. Powered by four Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines, these graceful airliners were sold in the late 1990s; they also owned and operated several Handley Page Herald aircraft from the 1970s to the early 1990s. In the 1990s, BWA operated many different aircraft types including BAC 1-11's, British Aerospace 146's, British Aerospace ATP's,Boeing 737- 300's and also a Boeing 757. The airline ceased operations late in 2001, affected by the downturn caused by the 11 September attacks and bringing to an end an airline with over 50 years association with the airport.
Channel Airways, (originally East Anglian Flying Services), one of the UK's five leading Independent airlines of the 1960s, had its administrative headquarters as well as its main operational base at the airport until its demise in February 1972.
Flightline (UK) (ICAO code 'FLT') was an airline formed in 1989 headquartered at Southend, where they also had a maintenance/engineering base for their own and third party aircraft. They mainly operated British Aerospace 146 aircraft on 'ad-hoc' charters, and a RJ-100 regional jet with which they operated a regular service between Southend and Cologne, from 7 June 2006 to 1 December 2008, on behalf of Ford Motor Company as a corporate shuttle. Flightline went into administration on 3 December 2008.
Region Air was a small commuter airline based at Southend in the 1980's and early 1990's that provided services to Brussels, Rotterdam and Paris using Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante and Jetstream 31 aircraft. Region Air leased and operated Ipswich Airport[6] from 1987 to 1989.
Military history
The airfield was established by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I.
In 1939 the Air Ministry requisitioned the airfield and it became RAF Rochford during World War II. It became a satellite base. In World War II it became a fighter base squadrons of Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricane fighters, as well as the Bristol Blenheim fighter-bomber. Many of the 50 pillboxes, that were designed to protect the airport from paratroop landings, still survive, as does the underground defence control room, which is near to Southend Flying Club. A further 20 or so pillboxes also remain in the surrounding countryside. In 1946 the airfield was decommissioned from military use and civil aviation returned in 1947, as did the Southend Municipal Airport name.
Canewdon, a couple of miles to the north-east of the airport, was the location of one of the World War II Chain Home radar stations. The 360 foot high transmitter tower at Canewdon was relocated to the Marconi works at Great Baddow in the 1950s.
Future developments
Construction has commenced of a new railway station on the eastern airport boundary; it is due to open in May 2010. This will give a frequent train connection into London Liverpool Street Station, via Stratford (see Southend Airport railway station). A new terminal, adjacent to this railway station, has planning consent.
The airport plans to erect a replacement ATC Control Tower commencing build in 2010, and for a 4 star hotel adjacent to the airport entrance.
The airport wishes to facilitate a range of intra-European passenger flights once more; this dovetails with Government aims outlined in the White Paper on airport development and the strategic Thames Gateway development. Undoubtedly the airport will have an important role to play in the 2012 London Olympics in East London, for which it is well situated, and the Olympic venue for the mountain bike event is to be held at nearby Hadleigh Farm.
The airport is awaiting the outcome of its planning application for a small runway extension. If approved, this extension would give a useable runway length of 1799m, and provide an ILS and upgraded lighting infrastructure on Runway 06. It would require the re-routing of Eastwoodbury Lane and demolition of 6 cottages at the end of the existing runway. It is likely that as part of this development, a Section 106 agreement would be entered into between the airport and local councils.
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Flybe | Jersey [seasonal] |
Accidents and incidents
- On 3 May 1967, Vickers Viscount G-AVJZ of Channel Airways was written off when a propeller was feathered on take-off. Two people on the ground were killed.[7]
- On 4 May 1968, Vickers Viscount G-APPU of Channel Airways overran the runway having landed at too high a speed. The aircraft was written off.[8]
- On 11 January 1988, Vickers Viscount G-APIM of British Air Ferries was damaged beyond economic repair when it was in a ground collision with Short 330 G-BHWT. G-APIM was subsequently repaired and donated to Brooklands Museum for preservation.[9]
See also
- List of airports in the United Kingdom
- British military history
- British military history of World War II
References
- ^ UK Aeronautical Information Service
- ^ Movements, [1]
- ^ Civil Aviation Authority Aerodrome Ordinary Licences
- ^ Southend Airport up for sale by Kevin Done, Aerospace Correspondent at ft.com, published/last updated: January 28, 2008, 13.36 (GMT)
- ^ "Committee meeting minutes" (PDF). Historic Built Environment Advisory Committee meeting minutes. 2003-02-20. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/hbeac_minutes_feb03.pdf. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
- ^ Ipswich Airport History
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19670503-1. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19680504-1. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19880111-1. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
External links
- London Southend Airport Official website
- London Southend Airport 2012 development website
- Stobart Group
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
