London Southend Airport

About London Southend Airport

London Southend Airport (IATA: SEN, ICAO: EGMC) is a regional airport in Essex, on the boundary between Southend-on-Sea and the Rochford district, about 41 miles east of central London. It serves south Essex, east London and the Thames Estuary area and is one of the smaller airports serving the capital. UK Civil Aviation Authority figures show that Southend handled 719,513 terminal passengers in 2025, around 720,000.

The airport is run by London Southend Airport Company Limited. In March 2024 a recapitalisation left Carlyle Global Infrastructure Fund with a majority stake of 82.5%, taking control of the airport from its former owner Esken. Southend has a single runway, 05/23, which is 1,856 metres long, and a passenger terminal that opened in March 2012.

A notable feature of the airport is its own railway station, just 100 steps from the terminal, which gives direct trains to London Liverpool Street. The terminal is not open around the clock: it opens 3 hours before the first scheduled departure of the day.

How to get to London Southend Airport

By train

Southend Airport station sits about 100 steps from the terminal and is linked to it by a covered walkway. Greater Anglia operates the trains, with up to six an hour to London at peak times. Journeys take about 52 minutes to London Liverpool Street and 43 minutes to Stratford. Passengers can change for the Elizabeth line at Shenfield, Stratford or Liverpool Street. The station ticket office is open 06:00 to 23:00 every day, and contactless payment is accepted.

By road

From the M25, leave at Junction 29 and take the A127 towards Southend, then follow the airport signs. Official parking is available on site in several car parks, with an Express pick-up and drop-off area near the terminal. Taxis serve the airport and car hire is available from Green Motion in the arrivals hall.

By bus and coach

Bus stops are directly opposite the terminal as passengers leave arrivals. Services include:

• Arriva routes 7, 8 and 9: local services linking the airport with Shoeburyness, Thorpe Bay and Rayleigh.
• LeighLink 23A: operated by Stephensons, running up to every 30 minutes between the airport and Leigh-on-Sea, seven days a week.
• First Bus X30: links Southend with Stansted Airport via London Southend Airport and Chelmsford.

Terminal and facilities

Southend has a single terminal building. Verified facilities and passenger services include:

• Security Fast Track
• SKYLIFE Lounge, which can be booked in advance
• Special assistance, which should be booked with the airline at least 48 hours before travel
• A quiet room for passengers of all faiths
• Food and drink: The Navigator, The Pilot Bar and SKYCAFÉ
• Shops: WHSmith and World Duty Free
• Travelex currency exchange, cash machines, charging points and free Wi-Fi
• Holiday Inn hotel at the airport

The airport does not publish a general London Southend Airport contact number. Enquiries are made through online forms covering parking, lost property, baggage, assisted travel and general questions.

Airlines and destinations

easyJet is the main airline at London Southend Airport and opened a base there in March 2025 with Airbus A320neo aircraft. Its network from Southend covers short-haul routes to European cities and holiday destinations in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Canary Islands and North Africa, together with UK and Channel Islands routes such as Edinburgh and Jersey. New services to Belfast and Budapest start in late October 2026, with flights to Lyon due to follow in December 2026. Seasonal charter flights to Lapland are also offered. Passengers should check current schedules with the airline.

History

The War Office identified the site as a possible landing ground in 1914, and it opened as a municipal airport in 1935. During the Second World War it became RAF Rochford, before Southend Council regained control after the war. The airport was sold to Regional Airports Ltd in the 1990s and bought in 2008 by the Stobart Group, later renamed Esken.

Significant investment followed. The runway was extended, and a new air traffic control tower and the railway station opened in 2011, the same year easyJet signed an agreement to base aircraft at the airport. The current terminal opened in March 2012. In March 2024 Carlyle took majority ownership as part of a recapitalisation of the airport.