easyJet Bolsters UK Presence with New Southend Base and Fleet Expansion for Enhanced Choice and Connectivity

(IN SHORT) easyJet has launched its tenth UK base at London Southend Airport with three A320neo aircraft, creating 140 direct jobs and supporting 1,200 indirectly, while boosting its UK fleet with seven additional planes for its biggest summer season yet. From Southend, it now offers 122 weekly flights on 20 routes—a 133% increase from last summer—including new destinations like Tenerife and Marrakech, with 44 new UK routes overall. This growth, driving a third of UK leisure travel, supports easyJet holidays’ largest-ever 2025 summer season, fueled by popular spots like Palma and Gran Canaria. CEO Kenton Jarvis emphasized connectivity and economic benefits, echoed by Southend’s Jude Winstanley and Aviation Minister Mike Kane. The base taps an eight-million-person catchment, enhancing easyJet’s network from 21 UK airports to 137 destinations.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUTON, 2025-Mar-31 — /Travel PR News/ — easyJet has unveiled its tenth UK base at London Southend Airport, reinforcing its growth across the United Kingdom with the addition of three A320neo aircraft. This move supports approximately 1,200 jobs, including 140 direct positions for pilots and cabin crew, while amplifying travel options and economic benefits.

The airline now operates 122 weekly flights across 20 routes from London Southend, connecting to popular leisure spots in Europe and North Africa—a 133% jump from last summer. This expansion coincides with easyJet’s largest-ever UK summer season, featuring seven new aircraft joining its fleet at bases including Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, and London Southend, alongside 44 new routes, four of which are entirely new destinations.

This development also propels easyJet holidays toward its most extensive summer season yet in 2025, with hotspots like Palma, Dalaman, and Gran Canaria leading the pack for package holiday bookings. The Southend base, enabled by a modernized, fuel-efficient fleet and easyJet’s robust short-haul leisure network, strengthens its foothold as the UK’s top leisure airline, driving a third of the nation’s leisure travel growth this summer.

From London Southend, three A320neo aircraft now facilitate new flights to destinations such as Tenerife, Marrakech, Antalya, Reus, Almeria, Pisa, Dalaman, Enfidha, Gran Canaria, and Malta. Nearly 10,000 passengers are expected to travel during the base’s first week, aligning with the aviation summer season’s start. With a catchment area rivaling Switzerland’s population—around eight million people within an hour’s reach—the base taps into significant leisure travel and holiday demand.

Kenton Jarvis, easyJet’s CEO, remarked, “Opening our latest base at London Southend today is a proud moment. Aviation, as recently noted by the Government, is vital for economic growth, delivering connectivity and skilled jobs that boost regions like this and the broader UK economy. Our expanded UK fleet, unmatched short-haul network, and distinctive easyJet holidays packages solidify our role as the UK’s leading leisure airline, offering unmatched value and options for the 50 million customers we serve annually.”

Jude Winstanley, CEO of London Southend Airport, added, “easyJet’s tenth UK base launch here is a landmark for our airport and community. It supports 1,200 jobs, including 140 new roles, as we gear up for our busiest summer in six years. With new winter routes to Barcelona, Salzburg, and Lanzarote now available, our fast rail link to Central London in under an hour makes us the convenient, friendly choice for travelers across Essex, London, and East Anglia.”

Aviation Minister Mike Kane stated, “Aviation fuels economic progress nationwide, and easyJet’s new Southend base is a welcome step. We’re committed to partnering with the industry to foster a strong workforce, and this expansion will spark an economic uplift and hundreds of jobs in the sector.”

Previously serving seven destinations like Alicante and Paris from Southend, easyJet has now added 13 new routes over the past year, totaling 20. Winter offerings are also growing with services to Barcelona, Lanzarote, and Salzburg, plus nine summer routes extended year-round due to demand. Founded nearly 30 years ago at London Luton, easyJet has since carried over 800 million UK passengers, now operating 536 routes from 21 UK airports to 137 destinations across 29 countries.

For further information, please contact the easyJet Press Office via medicentre.easyJet.com/contacts or on 01582 525252

 

Notes to editors

*Each UK-based aircraft directly supports 400 jobs and £27m UK GVA considering direct, indirect and induced impacts according to an independent assessment commissioned by Airlines UK.

easyJet and easyJet holidays London Southend Network

Destination	Frequency	Season
Alicante	10 x week	Year round
Palma	20 x week	Year round
Malaga	14 x week	Year round
Paris (CDG)	10 x week	Year round
Amsterdam	10 x week	Year round
Faro	8 x week	Year round
Geneva	6 x week	Winter
New routes for 2025
Gran Canaria	6 x week	Year round
Malta	8 x week	Year round
Pisa	4 x week	Summer
Dalman	6 x week	Summer
Enfidha	6 x week	Year round
Almeria	4 x week	Summer
Reus	4 x week	Summer
Antalya	4 x week	Year round
Tenerife	6 x week	Year round
Marrakech	6 x week	Year round
Barcelona	4 x week	Winter
Salzburg	2 x week	Winter
Lanzarote	6 x week	Winter

SOURCE: easyJet