The only way is no longer Essex. Teens from the county are set to join the more traditionally made-in-Chelsea rahs who flock to Rock in Cornwall each summer after easyJet today launched a new route to Newquay from Southend airport.
A year after rival Ryanair pulled out of Newquay airport, easyJet said it will start flying there from this summer, with a thrice-weekly service. EasyJet hopes it will attract almost 10,000 passengers each year on the route, with the inaugural flight taking off from Southend airport in June.
“This opens up a fast connection to the English Riviera and its great beaches, restaurants and attractions,” Hugh Aitken, easyJet’s UK commercial manager, said. “The new service makes the South-west much more accessible, and certainly a lot faster to reach than the current road or rail alternatives.”
The carrier has seen some 400,000 passengers travel from Southend airport, which is owned by Stobart Group, since it opened in March this year.
Easyjet saw its passenger numbers grow again in November, up 7.7% to 4.1 million. The airline’s annual report published yesterday showed that boss Carolyn McCall last year saw her pay jump by more than a quarter, from £1.55 million to almost £1.99 million, including a £1.27 million bonus.
