London Southend Airport has submitted an application to Rochford District Council for permission to extend its terminal building.

This will offer greatly improved facilities for passengers and enable it to meet new aviation regulations.

The multi-million-pound project has two elements.

The first will see an extension to the southern end of terminal building housing new baggage sortation and screening systems.

This will enable new equipment to be installed, ensuring London Southend Airport meets the forthcoming European Hold Baggage Security Screening Standard, which comes into force on September 1st.

Secondly, an extension to the northern end of the terminal improving baggage reclaim facilities.

The existing arrivals baggage area will be replaced with a new spacious area offering vastly improved and more flexible reclaim facilities for customers arriving at London Southend Airport.

Both extensions are single storey and have been sensitively designed in keeping with the existing terminal building.

Glyn Jones, chief executive, Stobart Aviation, owners of London Southend Airport, said: “We currently serve over one million passengers a year and more and more people are realising that London Southend offers them a better way to travel.

“This development is all about ensuring we maintain the highest levels of customer experience and ensuring we are able to comply with new regulations.”

He added “The airport was designed to deliver the best possible passenger experience; this extension ensures that we can continue doing just that as we grow.”

If planning permission is granted, then construction is expected to start in early 2018.

This will allow both sections to be open before the summer peak, minimising any passenger disruption, and ensuring the departures baggage sortation and screening system is fully operational ahead of the September deadline.