For several years now, the target completion date for the ambitious plans to expand and develop ‘London Southend’ was 2012. After many false starts, 2012 has arrived, and a new railway station and control tower have been completed and opened whilst a new radar, terminal and most importantly runway extension have been completed and await opening.
To supplement the existing Aer Arann service to Waterford, easyJet will be basing 3 aircraft from April.
With a new camera, here’s a couple of ATRs which started photography at Southend this year.
EI-CPT in strange but nice early morning sunshine:
EI-CPT Aer Arann AT43 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr
EI-CBK in less inspiring light, as the sun went in a moment before:
EI-CBK Aer Arann AT43 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr
Now some more interesting stuff. Yesterday I photograohged a Nigerian 737 being towed out for high power engine runs after spending 7 weeks in maintenance at Southend.
5N-BLC Aero Contractors B735 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr
And finally, a Jet2 737 positioning in from Gatwick to operate the first in a series of flights to shuttle Ford workers to Cologne and onto Craivo in Romania. These will be the first regular 737 passenger flights in probably decades from Southend.
G-CELK Jet2 B733 at Southend EGMC by AeroPics, on Flickr
That’s all, I’m looking forward to see what else 2012 brings in store for the new and improved ‘London Southend.’
By: AeroPics - 12th January 2012 at 17:31
However nice that would be, I can;t that happening. Apart from among some aviation enthusiasts the Carvair has been all but forgotten.
The airport certainly won’t rename, a fortune had been spent on advertising trying to get ‘London Southend’ across!
By: MSR777 - 10th January 2012 at 22:04
That would be really great to see those, I’ve always been fascinated by the Carvair, I had a flight on one in 1975. I used to have a great aunt who lived in a place called Great Wakering, which is close to the airport. I used to love seeing the almost constant stream of Carvairs and Bristol Freighters skimming over her rooftop. I hear that they might re-name the airport. If that’s true, maybe Freddie Laker would be a viable suggestion, bearing in mind his role in the founding of the Aviation Traders company at Southend and Stansted Airports, who in turn, using Freddie’s design, produced the Carvair, just a thought;)
By: AlanR - 9th January 2012 at 22:38
Anyone for a Carvair? I wish, Essex’s contribution to British aviation history;)
My brother-in-law has some pictures of Carvairs, when they were being
built/converted. I keep trying to get my sister to scan them, without any luck 😡
By: AlanR - 9th January 2012 at 22:36
I think you’re referring to the Algerian Air Force IL76s which came to Southend for attention by Avionicare.
There’s a video of it on youtube.
That’s probably the one.
By: MSR777 - 9th January 2012 at 18:32
Nice set of pics.
Good to have some life back in the place too. For those of us who can
remember Southend in it’s heyday.
Anyone for a Carvair? I wish, Essex’s contribution to British aviation history;)
By: AeroPics - 9th January 2012 at 17:02
I think you’re referring to the Algerian Air Force IL76s which came to Southend for attention by Avionicare.
There’s a video of it on youtube.
By: AlanR - 8th January 2012 at 22:39
With passengers the largest aircraft will the 757 on the extended runway, and suitable stand sizes are in place to accommodate such aircraft. Without passengers for maintenance or scrapping larger things will be unlikely although perhaps possible.
A Tristrar of Aer Turas EI-COL landed on the current runway in 1998!
What was the big Russian transport that was in Southend for some time ?,
quite a few years a go now.
By: AlanR - 8th January 2012 at 22:36
Nice set of pics.
Good to have some life back in the place too. For those of us who can
remember Southend in it’s heyday.
By: AeroPics - 8th January 2012 at 22:28
With passengers the largest aircraft will the 757 on the extended runway, and suitable stand sizes are in place to accommodate such aircraft. Without passengers for maintenance or scrapping larger things will be unlikely although perhaps possible.
A Tristrar of Aer Turas EI-COL landed on the current runway in 1998!
By: EGTC - 8th January 2012 at 22:26
Good stuff.
By: FLY.BUY - 8th January 2012 at 21:49
What will be the largest plane that the runway extension will take?
By: AeroPics - 8th January 2012 at 20:26
The Olympics was always the target date to get everything finished. The place should be very busy then, a railway station with at least 3 trains per hour to Stratford in under 45 minutes. Only LCY will be better connected to the Olympic site.
It will be fascinating to watch how it all pans out this year, but it seems inevitable that 2012 will be the busiest year for a very long time, perhaps since the golden days of the 1960s and 70s,
By: Culpano - 8th January 2012 at 19:59
Excellent start ! Nigerian 737 – nice. I assume there will be a lot of unusual stuff going in there for the Olympics ?
By: AeroPics - 8th January 2012 at 19:58
That one should be off at 7am tomorrow, too early and too dark for me! Once easyJet gets established there will be 4 scheduled A319/737 departures between 6:30 and 7:30!
Someone might mistake Southend Airport as being a busy place!
By: 8674planes - 8th January 2012 at 19:25
I’ll be looking forward to seeing those 737’s landing and taking off evry morning.
If I can get up in time!!:o
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January 8, 2012 at 7:08 pm