London Southend manager Alastair Welch in front of the apron

London Southend Airport recently celebrated its first birthday as a regenerated regional airport and its busiest year ever – but further new capacity is coming available to support the airport’s growth, allowing it to make a real difference to the issues faced across the other London airports.

Five additional aircraft stands have now been completed and significantly increase the airport’s capacity.

These stands are part of the expansion of the new passenger terminal and follow hot on the heels of the opening of the arrivals development last week.

London Southend Airport managing director Alastair Welch said: “With much debate about future airport capacity in the south-east, our investment demonstrates the very significant capacity which now exists at London Southend and we are actively engaging with the Davies Commission to ensure the airport’s potential is understood as part of the commission’s deliberations.

“The five new stands we have opened this week form a small part of the capacity development underway at the airport.”

Over £100 million has been invested in London Southend Airport since it was acquired by the Stobart Group in 2008, with more than 500 new jobs created on site.

New facilities include a train station on the London Liverpool Street (just 53 minutes into the heart of the City with up to eight trains each hour) just 100 paces from the terminal building, a runway extension , Air Traffic Control Tower and Holiday Inn hotel.

Some 721,661 passengers used London Southend Airport in the year to the end of February 2013.

That beats the previous record of 692,000 which was set back in 1967, when it was the third busiest airport in the UK (second only to Heathrow and Manchester).

It expects to reach the one million landmark in the next few weeks.